To Trap a Spider
by VNex
Summary: Kuroro found that he has to amend his plans after the Yorknew antique heist thanks to a certain chain user; but will those plans be destroyed when an "inconsequential" loose end from his past shows up with their own plan of revenge? Now with a hint of lime.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

No matter how good you are, there is always someone who is better. Someone had told him this once, most likely in a dying breath. And, like all other random yet useless information it got mentally filed away and forgotten. That is until not long ago when someone had actually managed to capture him. Him! The most notorious and elusive master thief that ever existed.

Since its founding, the Genei Ryodan had only had to replace two members. Until this month, that is. One person, almost a decade younger than him if Shal's info was correct, had managed to kill his strongest subordinate, force his second in command to choose between her life or his and put him into a possibly permanent Zetsu state. In the course of a couple of days the Ryodan was surprisingly crippled.

By all rights he should be pissed, wanting blood like Nobu; instead, he found himself fascinated. The potential the chain user wielded made him akin to an unfinished masterpiece begging to be sculpted. Even more than restoring his Nen, Kuroro found himself longing to bury his hands in the chain user's abilities and mold him, shape him into a force beyond reckoning and use him for his own purposes. Of course once he stopped being useful he would then steal his abilities as well as his scarlet eyes.

And so there he was, killing time in some backwater used book shop not too far from Yorknew City waiting for news from Hisoka of all people. There were less than a handful of people in the musty little shop so he let his feet wander down the aisles while his mind went over things he learned and skills he stole during the Genei Ryodan's latest sojourn. He was mulling over the Nostrade girl's prophecy when he turned down into the aisle furthest back from the store clerk.

_Stay in groups if you must journey._ Did that mean that the chain user would definitely pursue the remaining members of the Ryodan and finish them off? Or is he only able to be ruthlessly effective when it is a one-on-one fight? Or did it even concern the chain user at all; the prediction was for major events during the month and not specifically for one factor in the grand cacophony that makes up life.

_The one most needed you're sure to find._ Was that the Nen-exorcist that Hisoka was looking for? No, that couldn't be it, the wording made it sound like he himself was supposed to find someone he needed for some higher purpose. Should he be actively looking for someone, or would it more clandestine like kismet…

His thoughts came to a stop as he found himself suddenly aware of his surroundings. Most notable being that he was standing right next to someone and hadn't noticed. Followed by the fact that they had reached for the same book, he just a few heartbeats after the other so his left hand had closed over the other's right as they drew the book from the shelving. Said right hand fit neatly within his and had chains running from the base of every finger to their wrist; even with his Nen suppressed he could feel the energy imbued in the chains pulse as with a life of their own.

Kismet, he was definitely going to go with kismet.

Kuroro's hand reflexively withdrew itself when he realized that he was, in a way, holding hands with the chain user. He made an apologetic sound and hoped that the chain user didn't look close enough at his alternate persona to realize who he truly was. Eyes the color of dark amber looked at him, but didn't see him. Blond hair shifted, framing one side of his face and falling away from the other to reveal a normally hidden diamond earring as he was given a small sideways nod in acknowledgement before adding the 'contested' book to the others in the chain user's arms.

As the chain user walked away from him and towards the tables set up in the middle of the shop he found himself disturbed. His masterpiece was coming undone before he had a chance to play.

Even without his Nen Kuroro was still one of the best damn thieves in the world, and since the chain user was definitely distracted he figured he would stop killing time while wandering aimlessly through aisles and learn more about the chain user by observation.

The art of observation in and of itself was a highly underrated skill; a simple look could reveal a wealth of information if you knew what to look for. Take posture for instance. The chain user was sitting straight yet relaxed with one leg folded casually over the other under the table as he skimmed through the books he had pulled from the shelves earlier. It was a natural habit showing that the chain user is no stranger to long hours of researching over multitudes of books. Coupling that with the solid strategy shown a few days prior showed to Kuroro that the chain user was able to retain and process information at just under mastermind level; and that was without real training. He shivered in anticipation of the havoc the Genei Ryodan could reap with the formidable mental combination of himself, Shalnark and the chain user.

Every once in a while the blond would lean on his left elbow and fidget with what Kuroro assumed was the diamond earring he caught a glimpse of earlier. Since it was done while the chain user wasn't focused on the books, brow furrowed slightly in deep thought he felt pretty sure that both the earring and the chain user's thoughts were conjoined somehow; the earring most likely a memento of a significant time in his life. That or his massacred clan; which, considering that he was pursuing what would be considered a suicide mission of revenge to even above-average persons, would be a likely conclusion. Did that mean his resolve to eradicate the Genei Ryodan wasn't as strong as it had been? If it had been stronger, Kuroro was sure he would have been found out earlier.

And then there was the state of dress of the chain user. The last time he had seen him, the blond had been wearing something more akin to traditional tribal clothing, most presumably remnants of his clan. Today, however, he was wearing a white button down shirt two sizes too big as well as gray dress slacks that were barely held up by a belt cinched to its tightest hole; the pant legs had been rolled up several times to reveal well-worn light blue slippers.

A frantic, yet relieved, voice called through the store breaking him out of his thoughts. "Kurapika!"

Kurapika? That's right, that's the name the driver called the chain user on their way to the airport. In fact, that was the driver who was rushing up to the table.

"Leorio?!" Kurapika seemed to be startled out of his contemplation as the gangly man in a rumpled suit and small sunglasses invaded his personal space.

"What the hell Kurapika! You were unconscious for over two days, and when you do finally wake up, I turn around for one minute and you're GONE!" The tall one, Leorio, cupped Kurapika's chin roughly and pressed their foreheads together, "You still have that damned fever too.

"Wait," Leorio finally pulled his face away from the blond who was now wide-eyed in shock," are those my clothes you're wearing?"

Kurapika flushed deeply and found himself unable to look Leorio in the eyes as he responded almost too quietly for Kuroro to hear. "I couldn't find mine."

"Eh huh." Leorio finally released Kurapika's chin, though his fingers took their time sliding off looking more like a lover's caress than Kuroro would have liked. The only thing that kept Kuroro from killing the one called Leorio right there was the way Kurapika's body awkwardly tensed that showed that they were in fact neither current nor past lovers. Forcing himself back into a composed state he continued to listen to their conversation.

"And you got here how?"

Kurapika gave the slightest of shrugs before replying in the same quiet tone as before, "…walked."

"Uh huh. For some reason I get the feeling that even if I asked you just HOW you managed to walk from the safe house in Yorknew City to here in just a few hours you wouldn't be able to tell me. Is that correct?"

"…yes."

Leorio sighed and shook his head. "Tell me you at least stopped to eat after escaping your sickbed." When Kurapika responded with only silence Leorio was obviously upset, taking a few moments before speaking again. "So this means you haven't eaten anything since before Gon and Killua got captured by the Spiders the second time."

Kurapika sighed softly and leaned back in his chair. "Sorry, I guess I have more to sort through than I realized." He frowned slightly as Leorio seemed to not listen, instead typing a message on his phone. Falling back into silence he waited for his friend to finish.

It didn't take long and once Leorio was finished and the message was sent he showed the screen to the seated blond. The message was simply 'Found him.' Leorio then bent over Kurapika again, "You know, you had a lot of people in a panic with your disappearing act today."

Shoulders slumping further in a crestfallen defeat, "And I am guessing that I left my phone behind when I wandered off."

Leorio nod and dug a second phone out of his pocket which he promptly handed back to Kurapika. "Now come on. There's a food joint across the street and you're past needing to eat."

The Kurta acquiesced and stood up slowly. As his eyes fell on the book that both he and Kuroro had been drawn to; he fell silent for a moment before looking at his tall friend thoughtfully. "Gon mentioned that you are fairly decent at haggling a deal." Even Kuroro across the room could feel Leorio's ego swell at the comment. Fortunately Kurapika didn't let him launch into self-imposed accolades for haggling skills by handing the book over to Leorio with a small yet amused smile. "Prove it." As Kurapika let go of the book he added, "If it makes a difference, you can mention that the book has a broken spine though I wouldn't belabor the fact. Also, I'll accept any final offer that isn't higher than the original asking price."

Leorio took the book with a look of skeptical confusion. "That's a fairly lenient thing to say when asking someone to haggle a price for you."

The Kurta continued to smile amusedly as he replied, "I have my reasons." With a slight tilt of his head he added, "Which I will share with you… _if_ you succeed in your negotiations."

The tall man accepted the challenge with a look of pure determination before storming over to the poor clerk behind the counter near the front of the store. Kurapika moved closer to be an inconspicuous spectator but Kuroro chose to keep his distance, moving closer to the door so he could still watch and listen but keep his risk of being discovered to a minimum.

The barter exchange took a little over five minutes before they came to an agreement at about 60% of the original asking price, which was still fairly close to 200,000 Jenny. Once Kurapika had paid for the book and the clerk was out of earshot Leorio puffed up his chest in pride and gave a thumbs-up sign; which the blond completely ignored as he inspected the book. "I honestly don't know if I should be impressed with you or disappointed in the clerk."

Leorio was visibly deflated and his posture and facial expression kept changing between angry and insulted but Kurapika continued to ignore him while he put the book back in the bag which loudly carried the used book store's logo. "A purveyor of used books should have known more accurately the worth of their wares. Without a certificate of authenticity I cannot be 100% sure, but I am all but completely positive that my initial assessment is accurate and it is not a counterfeit."

"I did good, right?"

With a nod Kurapika continued, "If I truly am correct then this book is easily worth two to three times the original asking price so what you negotiated was highly acceptable."

Leorio's jaw dropped in stunned silence but regained most of his composure fairly quickly. "And if you're wrong?"

Calmly the blond looked up at his friend before turning towards the exit. "If I am wrong then it is worth less than half of what I paid for it." He gestured towards the door in front of them, "Shall we?"

Kuroro watched them leave with a slight frown. Leorio had opened the door and ushered the Kurta out with a hand placed lightly on the small of Kurapika's back and hadn't removed it when they left his range of sight as they crossed the street to the bistro next door.

Allowing his prey some time to put a bit of distance between them he mentally reviewed what he had just learned. First of all, the Kurta's resolve didn't seem as manifested as when he had been able to provoke him during his capture; however he hadn't realized that he was in the presence of one of his enemies so that might have made a difference. Secondly, he seemed well versed in antiques, if only books though Kuroro had a hunch it was more well-rounded than that, and able to accurately appraise items of worth from quick glances. And lastly he found that he did _not_ like it when someone other than himself put a hand on HIS Kurapika.

Wait, his?

Yes.

His.

By any means necessary.

The corners of his mouth turned upwards into a predatory smile and he let himself out of the bookstore and headed over to the same bistro his prey had gone to.

* * *

**A/N:** While I prefer the manga over the anime, there are a few points of the '99 anime that I will be using instead. Most, if not all inconsistencies could be the result of this.

While I do intend to see this story out until it is finished, it is not a high priority as I am writing it while dealing with writers block for my other story. Therefore upload times will be inconsistent; please be patient with me.

Also, I own nothing.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Kurapika let Leorio lead him out of the book store and across the street for supper. He was a bit uncomfortable with Leorio's hand on his lower back but figured that he had unintentionally caused enough trouble lately that he would let it slide… this time. Unless his hand slid any lower, then he would have no issues with putting Leorio back in his place.

The sun was starting to sink into the ocean, painting the buildings and landscape of the cape in reds and gold. He wasn't hungry but knew Leorio was right and that he needed to eat something; he could feel his strength starting to flag as well.

Since it was just the start of the supper rush, the little bistro was still mostly empty and the duo had their pick of the place. They chose a table outside with a good view of the ocean and her sunset but just out of the reach of the sea spray. After ordering they sat in silence for a little while, watching the waves crash relentlessly against the cliffs near their seating.

Eventually Leorio broke the silence, "Anything in particular that you've been thinking so hard about?"

Kurapika continued to sit and drink his tea in silence. Leorio felt his eye twitch in irritation at being ignored and was about to spout off when the blond set his cup down and answered quietly, "Most recently about how lucky I am to have such good friends." Honey colored eyes watched the surf play along the crags of the cape as he continued, "And that they're right, on all counts."

Their food came and they ate in amiable silence as the bistro filled up around them. Unsure if his friend's silence was due to the growing crowd of people or a reluctance to share, Leorio tenderly offered, "I won't pry if you really don't want me to, but if you ever need an ear or a shoulder you know I'm always here for you."

Kurapika nodded in acknowledgement and after they paid he motioned to the railing overlooking the cape far enough away from the general public so their conversation would be kept private. As they walked he spoke with an understated tone, not because he was afraid of being overheard so much as it was not an easy thing to speak of. "After my clan was massacred and I decided on the path of vengeance I had not intended on letting anyone close. To those unfeeling beings who revel in murder they would become exploitable flaws, as you saw.

"I have no idea how they can do it; to kill so many without feeling anything… At one point during my last confrontation with the over-sized spider, the one the head referred to as Uvo, I asked him why they killed my clan. He had no idea what I was talking about but agreed that if it was five years ago he would have definitely participated.

"One hundred and twenty-eight people were tortured, mutilated and ultimately killed, thirty-six of which had their eyes removed. It would not surprise me to find out that most, if not all of the eyes were removed while they were still alive. And to them, the event was not significant enough to bother to remember it." Kurapika covered his eyes with the palm of his hand for a moment in obvious distress.

Before Leorio was able to overcome his shock and comfort his friend the blond took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you remember me telling you about the conditions for the Nen blade around my heart? There is another, more personal reason for its existence.

"The path of revenge is a dark and twisted one, and the longer one walks it the greater the chance you can lose yourself to the corruption. I chose that path to take monsters out of the world and would rather die by my own hand than to become a similar source of such pointless loss of life."

The sun sank further into the watery horizon, bathing Kurapika in its golden light. Drops of the sea spray had caught in his hair as he leaned over the railing giving him an almost ethereal visage while gazing at the awakening stars. Leorio's breath caught in his throat at the sight but he was glad his private friend was finally opening up and sharing some of his burdens.

Kurapika studied the faint stars for a moment before continuing, "My Nen master used to chastise me for following that path. He would always tell me that I was nothing more than a butterfly caught in the spider web of revenge whenever we would get into the argument. I have no idea if he knew who I was chasing when he would say that, or if it was just one more of his 'poetic allusions' he was so fond of.

"He also loved to tell me that I wasn't strong enough for that path. Even back then I knew he was right but I stubbornly refused to admit it. If I didn't go after the Genei Ryodan, who would? Not many people go after the members and the few who succeed, if I understand correctly, replace the ones they kill making the Spider stronger." He paused for a moment before repeating an old adage that Leorio had heard once before, "'If not me, who; if not now, when.'

"Everything about the reality of the Genei Ryodan is a contradiction. They're a band of individuals comprised of sadists, murderers and thieves. By all logical reasoning their first priority should be self-preservation; and yet both that giant, Uvo, and the woman, Pakunoda, chose to defy the conditions of the judgment chain and die rather betray their leader."

"Wait," Leorio interrupted, stunned. "The woman died?"

Kurapika nodded slightly. "I could feel the judgment chain activate shortly before I collapsed. She could see the memories of those she touched, so it would be logical to presume that she could have a way to transfer her memories to others by touch as well. If the memory transfer took less than a fraction of a second then it is quite possible that they know everything."

Leorio felt his heart stop. If the Genei Ryodan knew everything, including that their leader had been effectively neutered and left on a mesa with a psychopath who wanted to kill him, then there was no way that Kurapika was _not_ a high priority target. And yet his friend seemed completely unconcerned about it. "How can you be so calm about that!?"

Kurapika shrugged almost flippantly. "Call it a hunch, or just a feeling, but I do not think that the Genei Ryodan will actively pursue me unless their master orders it. If our paths cross, however, it could be a different story. The one I need to watch my back for is Hisoka."

"Wait," Leorio interjected, "isn't he a Spider himself? And didn't you form some sort of alliance with him?"

The blond shook his head slightly, still watching the sky darken around them as the sun sank lower into the depths of the ocean. "Hisoka's only true loyalty lies with his perversions and desire to challenge himself against only the strongest of opponents.

"After he first approached me about a 'mutually beneficial arrangement' he told me that he had joined the Genei Ryodan for the purpose of fighting the leader. However, he then found that the leader, when the group was summoned together, was never without at least two other members. Likewise, when their goal was accomplished he would vanish completely until he summoned them together again. So he needed a distraction that would leave the leader alone, a distraction that I was willing to provide. That also meant he needed me alive long enough to 'divide and conquer', so to speak."

"Okay," Leorio interrupted again, "I can see how Hisoka would benefit from the arrangement but what did he offer you?"

Kurapika turned to glare at his tall friend for interrupting him for a moment before resuming his study of the stars. "Information. He offered to tell me what he knew about the individual members, their strengths, how they fought, etc. Though, he did admit that he only had information for about half of the members.

"I don't trust him and never have; even when entering into a tentative alliance. While I do not know him completely, I do know him well enough to understand that if he found a 'better alternative' he would have no problem with dissolving our agreement and whatever happened next would be completely up to his whims.

"In the end I never officially agreed to the deal and was not given any information. I told him I would think about it and then got called away because Uvo had escaped while my direct superior was waiting to transfer him to the mafia society. And then of course, all hell broke loose. The only useful thing I got from Hisoka was that the bodies found after the attack at the underground auction were all fakes."

"So, if you weren't in a true alliance with Hisoka, why did you let him on the blimp during the hostage exchange?"

The blond grew quiet for a moment before replying, "Because the most probable outcome of denying his request to board would be that he would go on a rampage. Gon and Killua were bound and unable to defend themselves let alone assist, the leader of the Genei Ryodan was forced into a Zetsu state by my Nen, Pakunoda may have fought against Hisoka though most likely would take the opportunity to attack either Gon, Killua or myself, despite your determination you have no chance against him if he went all out and I was already at my limit. In case you haven't realized it, when I become a specialist and activate Complete Mastery my energy burns at a much higher rate; staying in that state is… unwise. So I chose to let him onboard where he would be quiet and out of the way until he could get some 'private time' with the leader.

"He… the leader that is, is still alive. Or at least I can still feel that the Judgment Chain is still active. And before you ask, no, I cannot track him with it. He could be at the furthest reaches of the world or even that guy from the bookstore who's reading on the bench just over there. All I can tell is that the Judgment Chain hasn't been removed by death, activation or by someone who specializes in Nen removal."

Leorio leaned backwards against the railing, his lanky form sprawled in a fairly comfortable position. By now the sun had almost fully sunk into the depths of the ocean, the stars shone brightly in the deepening blue sky while the crescent moon laughed silently. "I've been wondering; are those Spiders the first people you've killed? Not that it's any of my business if you don't want to share, of course. It's just that I'm getting some mixed signals between what happened during the 'Majority Rules' section of the Hunter exam and now…" he trailed off letting Kurapika decide if he wanted to pursue the subject.

For a moment the blond remained quiet, gazing now at the ever-moving waves; "They were the first to die of my own volition as well as in such a detestable manner. They were not the first to die by my hand."

"So I take it others left you no choice."

A small nod, "I found out very quickly after leaving my village that there are a lot of bad people who want to do a lot of bad things to children when they're alone and obviously not from the area; more so if they look like a helpless girl. Most left me alone after a few broken bones and several bruises, but a few were persistent and gave me no other option.

"Anyone _that_ bent on raping and/or enslaving children is nothing but an oxygen thief. The world will not mourn them and neither will I."

Leorio looked over his friend, inspecting him in a new light. With a frown he questioned, "Did they ever…"

"They tried. You of all people should know my temper. And no, my modesty is not a result of what happened after I left my village; it is because that is how I was raised."

"So… since we're kind of on the subject, and I've always wondered about it… how did you survive?" He held his hands up, waving them in front of his face in a mild panic, "Not that you have go into detail or anything, if you don't want."

Kurapika remained silent, watching the stars. The sun had fully sunk past the horizon and the pair was bathed in the edges of the streetlight they were near. "The short answer is that I wasn't there. The full, drawn out story involves an accident, a best friend, a crappy Hunter and a book."

"Wait, alone? Weren't you, like, twelve?"

A small nod, barely perceptible, "It took two years to convince the village elder to let me take the exit test."

"Eh?! What could possibly possess you to be that desperate to leave your village when you were ten?"

The blond bowed his head as he continued in a somber tone, "In a grand irony, I was looking for a doctor. Pairo's degenerating condition was my fault so it was my responsibility to correct. The village healers couldn't figure out the source and like hell I was going to sit still while there was even the slimmest chance that someone from Outside would be able to help." He looked over momentarily at Leorio's confused expression, "I guess I should start at the beginning so it makes sense."

Leorio nodded and sat down on a bench relatively close to where Kurapika was standing. He knew that once Kurapika decided to explain something he would fully explain it, even if it did take for_ever_ to do; and since he rarely shares _anything_ about himself before they met, his story would probably last well into the night.

"It might be hard to imagine, but before I left the village I was easily as energetic as Gon, if not more so. My best friend, however, was the only one who could keep up with me intellectually. Pairo… had a gentle heart, he would prefer to prostrate himself and apologize, even if he did nothing wrong, just to prevent violence from happening. He was a true pacifist. This, of course, meant he was perfect fodder for bullies.

"Yes, even in a small village hidden in a forest we still had bullies. Of course any time I caught them picking on Pairo I would beat the shit out of them…" Kurapika looked over at his friend and found Leorio staring at him, "What? I have always had issues when people would do something to harm the people I care about. It didn't matter that they were older and stronger than me; if you fuck with my friends or family, I will kick your ass."

That statement was made so matter of fact that words left Leorio's mouth before his mind registered the question, "How often did you lose?"

Leorio swore he saw a slight smirk curl up the edges of the blonde's mouth, "Never. They may have had size and strength on me, but they were slow… and stupid. I could easily use my smaller size and higher agility to dodge their blows and get in several shots to their exposed vital areas before having to dodge another shot.

"Before you ask, the unspoken rule of thumb was that adults stayed out of the squabbles of children in order for them to learn how to deal with various situations. The exceptions were if fights were witnessed or resulted in severe bodily damage. And honestly what teen, especially one who wants to look more macho then they could ever be, would go running to the elders because they got beaten up by a ten year old."

Shaking his head Leorio had to fight the urge to laugh at the mental image. "Did they ever try to get back at you?"

"Of course; it never worked out well for them though. Occasionally they'd try to jump me as a group when I would take a shortcut home late at night. It took them about a half dozen tries before they learned that when they did that, I stopped fighting fair.

"Eventually they got smart with Pairo though; they would wait until I was either in a lesson or on the opposite side of the village before going after him. One day they took a locket from him, a memento of deceased relative, and led him on a chase to one of the two highly restricted areas of the forest. I think they had intended on throwing it over the edge of the cliff but it got caught in the tree branches instead.

"Near the edges of our 'territory' there is a giant waterfall; close to the top is an outcropping that holds an ancient oak tree who's branches extend over a sheer cliff side that drops five hundred kilometers to the crags of the waterfall's basin. The reason that area had been deemed restricted was because the constant spray from the waterfall, as well as the resulting moss and lichens make that area a deathtrap.

"By the time I found Pairo, he was still at the base of the oak but seemed to have already accepted his memento's fate to be lost. I found that unacceptable."

Leorio could feel his heart sink, certain that he had a good idea of what happened next. A part of him didn't want his friend to relive that memory but another part of him knew that it was cathartic and needed in order to start the healing process; so he remained silent.

"I had climbed that tree before on a couple of occasions, though never that far over the ravine. I knew that I was light enough that the branches should be able to hold my weight and if I went slowly I would have a nominal chance of slipping on the lichen.

"It took a while but eventually I reached the locket and was able to untangle it from the branches. On the way back, however, I failed to realize that the limb I was about to use was dead and rotted through. It broke while I was still over the ravine and I couldn't find a grip on any other branches as I fell.

"I don't know how, but he caught me and he didn't let go; even when the collision with the cliff face knocked me out cold for a few minutes. He didn't let go until I was safely back on the ground, away from the outcropping and he had passed out from the exertion.

"I know I felt at least one bone break and I should have been covered in scrapes and bruises; but when I recovered enough to take stock of the situation I was completely unharmed. The only one injured was Pairo; it was almost as if he had been so focused on saving me that he had taken all of my injuries into himself.

"He didn't wake up for a few days, and when he finally did he remembered nothing about that day. When we realized that, no one ever tried to make him remember. I decided that I would remember for the both of us.

"After that his eyesight began to fail. His bones also became brittle and wouldn't grow properly. Because of that he was never allowed to participate in any physical activities or weapons training, basically treated as a cripple by almost everyone.

"Back then I knew nothing about Nen, but now I'm wondering if, in his panic to save me, Pairo somehow provoked his aura into opening his shouko but couldn't control it. It might also explain how he was able to sense when my eyes turned scarlet even if our backs were turned to each other."

"That was when I started to petition the village elder to be allowed Outside to find a doctor that could help Pairo's condition. Two to three times a week, every week, I would try to reason with the elder; it usually ended up with the elder going 'because I said so' and me replying 'that's not good enough'. At which point I would be ushered out.

"Every once in a while I would argue that the reasons for our isolations have surely changed over the past century and that rules that were kept out of fear and can't even convince a child are completely outdated and need to be changed. On those days I would be 'forcibly ejected' from the council hall."

Leorio barely managed to keep his mouth shut, his howls of laughter turning into throaty snorts as he bit his lip while imagining a pint-sized version of Kurapika flying out a door and landing face first in muck. Over the next few minutes every time he tried to stop laughing the imagery popped back into his head and his amusement overflowed again. When he finally regained his composure he found the blond watching him stoically.

"Finished?"

The response was another round of guffaws and knee slapping.

"Sometimes you truly have a simple mind…"

Leorio finally managed to contain his mirth into a goofy grin. "Sorry, sorry…"

"No you're not," interrupted Kurapika.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Transparently so.

"To continue my explanation…," Kurapika glared at Leorio for a moment to see if he would be interrupted once again by a fit of laughter. When he wasn't he turned back to watching the ocean, "It was after one of those arguments that Pairo and I went exploring in the forest and found an injured Outsider.

"At that point neither Pairo nor I knew any language other than our native tongue. Outsiders were not allowed to learn our language and we were not allowed to learn any Outside language until we came of age. This proved to be problematic as she had broken her leg and was _horrible_ at pantomiming.

"She was lucky that we were the ones to find her; anyone else probably would have reported her to the council or guards. Uninvited Outsiders were not tolerated and since she had found her way into our territory she would have been permanently silenced in order to keep our hidden village hidden. Instead she was found by two hyper-intelligent and insatiably curious kids; who just happened to know of a way to break the language barrier.

"My dad had something like a translation dictionary which I 'borrowed indefinitely without permission' when he wasn't looking. With that we were finally able to communicate with her and read the book she gave us in thanks for helping her. We found out that she was a Hunter, or was at least aspiring to become one. How someone _that_ accident prone could survive the Hunter exam I have no idea…

"Between Sheila and the book of adventures she gave us we grasped Common fairly quickly; we didn't even need the dictionary to read her goodbye letter. We read and reread the stories in the book Sheila gave us for about a year before it disappeared."

Kurapika gave a rueful smile as he was lost in his memories. He had bowed his head in a way that Leorio had eventually recognized as a way to hide his eyes when they were becoming, or had already turned, scarlet. "I went straight to the elder and demanded that he gave it back. He didn't even ask what I was talking about, just that I could have it back sometime after I came of age.

"We started to get into the same arguments as before until I asked him if he had read it. When he admitted that he had we both started arguing our points using the book as references. Eventually he acquiesced and let me take the exit test. Though, knowing what I know now I believe that the only reason he did was because I promised to never ask again if I failed."

Leorio sat forward as he tried to wrap his head around that last comment. "What difference would that make?"

"Because," sighed Kurapika, "he set me up to fail.

"My exit test had three parts to it. The first two were 'general knowledge' skills such as language and regional customs."

Leorio interrupted with a snort, "Let me guess, you not only aced those parts but corrected them on any mistakes they made."

He was surprised when the blond gave a soft answering laugh, "They were not excessively happy when I did that. Though I don't think they were that surprised when I did, either.

"The third part was what the elder called a 'Test of Self Control'.

"Our eyes turn scarlet any time our emotions run high. Granted they turn easier when it's due to negative emotions, but anything could trigger them: excitement, joy, anger, sorrow, desire, the spectrum of emotions could be reflected in shades of red. The test entailed that I choose a companion from the room and go to a nearby town and pick up supplies for the month, supplies that we couldn't make ourselves. I would fail the test if either my companion or I let our eyes turn.

"He then ushered in a few adults I could choose from. Had he suspected I was going to choose Pairo I doubt he would have let him in the room as my 'cheering squad'. The elder even tried to dissuade me, pointing out repeatedly that the task involved a lot of physical labor. By my mind was set, even if I failed at the task, so long as Pairo was with me I would have no regrets."

Obviously confused Leorio interrupted yet again, "How could he prove something like that if he wasn't there to witness it? Or was that what one of the adults for?"

Kurapika shook his head, "Apparently there was a formula for eye drops that last for 24 hours after applying; should our eyes turn scarlet at any point during those 24 hours then they would remain scarlet until they eye drops wore off. According to the elder the original intent was to hide the color change for 24 hours to help our nature stay hidden when Outside. Obviously it failed and was repurposed.

"Once we got to the town to get supplies we were targeted by a group of thugs twice. The first time they cornered Pairo in the store after we had split up and tripped him. I was about to lose my temper and do what I normally do to bullies when he stopped me and convinced me to calm down and take the pacifist route. The delinquents were about to continue but were stopped by the other store patrons, mostly elderly or housewives, who had seen them target Pairo.

"The second time was when we were leaving the town to go back to our village. Again Pairo convinced me to stay calm and just bypass them. But as I walked past one asked me how I could stand to be constantly saddled with a cripple.

"I lost it.

"They were on the ground, bleeding and with broken bones before I even realized I had lost my temper. The only reason I stopped was because Pairo got in front of me.

"While he made the delinquents call the village elder to tell him they weren't able to get my eyes to change a crowd had formed behind us from the noise of the fight. It was mostly the patrons from the store we had just left, the same ones whom had helped us just an hour before. All they saw were the beaten thugs, my bloody hands and my damned eyes that were still scarlet."

Kurapika went still for a moment, hands clenched unconsciously at his side. His body trembled slightly as he tried to contain the maelstrom of emotions the memories had dredged up, but he continued. "Let's just say that was the first time I had to flee from a populated area or risk being stoned to death and leave it at that."

Leorio knew his friend had reasons for keeping his past secret but had assumed that the reason was just the one he had given during the exam, that they were hunted for their eyes because they were worth a lot on the black market. He had never suspected that another reason was because of un-based superstition and fear. But, if he thought about it, such a reaction shouldn't be that unexpected. He may not be as smart as Kurapika but even he knew that people feared things that were different or unexplainable. After all, that's part of how phobias work.

He stood up and leaned against the railing next to the shaking blond. He rested his hand lightly on Kurapika's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, wordlessly letting him know whether or not he continued his story was up to him and he wasn't going to judge him either way. Nor was he going to abandon him.

Kurapika turned his head slightly, head still bowed so his eyes were obscured, and gave a small nod of thanks. Soon the shaking stopped and he continued story, sadness and fatigue becoming evident in his voice. "On the way back to the village Pairo made me stop and explained the truth behind the final test. He knew because he had overheard the elder explain it.

"The thugs that targeted us had been hired by the village elder to provoke me into losing my temper. The adults that had been chosen by the elder had been informed of that and had been instructed to let their eyes turn scarlet if I somehow managed to remain calm enough through the day. Had I done what the elder had expected I would have failed one way or another.

"Instead of doing what he planned I did something that I rarely did; used a child's logic."

Even though the event was well in the past, Leorio couldn't help but feel enraged. How could someone whom was in charge of the wellbeing of his people deliberately set up a child to fail? He couldn't understand it and if that elder hadn't already been killed Leorio was going to hunt down that hidden village and give him a piece of his mind. Preferably with violence.

"Wait, what about the eye drops? Wouldn't your eyes have been red still by the time you got back to the village?"

Kurapika couldn't help but give a mischievous smile, "Pairo used a bait and switch tactic. Because of his degenerating eyesight he had to use eye drops liberally throughout the day. The elder had given the drops to Pairo first and he 'accidentally' dropped the bottle under a dresser. Instead of pulling out the bottle with the drops for the test he pulled out his own bottle, using the elder's distraction with my instruction for the test to mask what he was doing.

"Between Pairo making the thugs call the elder to say they failed and using normal eye drops, he was the reason I passed the test. He didn't tell me about the elder's deception before because he wanted me to pass it on my own. In his eyes I did pass it on my own as the reason I lost my temper was Pairo being referred to as a cripple, which they could not have known without information from the elder.

"And so, a few days later I left. The last thing the elder said to me was that there was no way I should ever be allowed to leave the village. He refused to explain it so I figured that it had to do with my excitable temper; though a part of me felt there was something more to it. Not like I can ask about it now. He didn't say anything as he handed over a copy of the notes detailing Pairo's condition, nor did say anything as they bolted these in my ears…"

Kurapika tucked his hair behind his ear and blatantly showed one of his earrings.

"What do you mean 'bolted'?"

"You can check later, but there are no clasps. Even if I wanted to remove them, I can't; at least not without ripping them out of my ears.

"Six weeks into my search the news about the Kurta massacre hit worldwide. One of the first things I did after getting my Hunter's license was to read the report of the Hunter who had found the village. It happened approximately a week or two after I left." He trailed off, not wanting to continue but eventually forced himself to finish.

Knuckles turned white as his hands clenched around the railing in a death grip. "When we bury our dead, we do not use cemeteries or cairns, they are returned to the earth in order to strengthen those still alive. Because no one outside of our village knew anything about our culture, the Hunter who found and documented the massacre… left them as they were found in order to not assume religious precedence or step on our native beliefs.

"After not finding any obvious places of burial they decided to leave the bodies to the elements and animals. They had failed to notice that once they entered our territory the aggressive, carnivorous and carrion eating animals were reduced to non-existent… When I finally got back to the village a few days after hearing the news there was hardly any sign of decomposition.

"It's hard enough to have to bury your best friend, or a family member; but when you have to bury your best friend, your family… everyone you ever knew… it is impossible to walk away from something like that unchanged."

Kurapika grew silent and sagged against the railing, mentally and emotionally exhausted. Leorio had suspected that the burden he bore was heavy, but it was far greater than he could have imagined. He squeezed the shoulder he still held onto supportively, "There is no way I could begin to understand the hell you've been through, but if it means anything, I've got your back. Any time you need it."

"Me too!" piped up a young voice from behind them as a child-sized bundle collided with Kurapika's back. The act was quickly followed by Gon's arms wrapping around the blonde's middle in a fierce hug.

"Oi, count me in as well," came a laid-back seriousness that only Killua could pull off.

"It seems that the sentiment is unanimous, then," the soft voice of Senritsu added.

"Eh?!" was the only response a dumbfounded Leorio could come up with. "How long have you guys been here? And why are you here anyways? I told you I found him!"

"You told us a couple of hours ago, old man," Killua snipped playfully. "You were taking too long so we figured we would see if you went senile and got lost."

Leorio's face turned a tomato red in anger before he shouted at Killua, "I'm not that much older than you," while twisting a bent knuckle joint into the crown of white hair. As the mock-fight and teasing continued on behind him, Kurapika couldn't help but give a small laugh.

The diminutive woman moved to stand next to him against the railing, ignoring the scene behind her. "The painful melody your heart was making seems to have lessened, though it is still a troubled rhythm."

Kurapika nodded, "I don't think I could have asked for a better group of friends."

Gon unwrapped himself from Kurapika's back and flopped over the railing by Kurapika's free side. He stood there for a few moments, lost in his own thoughts. Eventually his mind found a question it wanted answered, "Kurapika?"

"Hmm?"

"What was the last thing your friend said to you?"

Leorio and Killua stopped their play bickering the moment the question exited Gon's mouth. Simultaneously they went to punch him on his head for his insensitivity, yet both stopped just shy of contact when they noticed a small but genuine smile from Kurapika.

"He told me that he would refuse to let me enter the village until I could truthfully answer 'yes' to one question."

Gon tilted his head as he tried to figure out the question, but gave up rather quickly. "What question what that?"

"Was it fun…"

"And?"

"And, what, Gon?"

"Was it fun?"

The blond seemed surprised for a moment. "So far it has been a wild ride. And it has gotten a lot more interesting since meeting the four of you."

"Have you decided what's next for you, Kurapika?"

"Yes, I have decided to follow the advice Gon gave when we thought most of the Genei Ryodan were dead and focus on retrieving the eyes of my clan. One of the best chances of finding leads is to keep to my service contract with the Nostrade family.

"With receiving the field-promotion to head bodyguard after Dalzollene's defeat as well as the deaths of the Ten Dons I find myself in a unique position. If I am careful, I can make use of Neon's obsession with collecting body parts as well as Light's growing reliance on my abilities to my benefit. I had planned on being in this position eventually, but to get here in just a few months is an opportunity I plan on taking advantage of.

"Though…" Kurapika drew silent for a moment, a somber expression on his face while he was deep in thought. After a few heartbeats his mouth turned down in displeasure, "I may have already completely fucked myself and have to accept the high probability that I may need to disappear completely for a while."

Four pairs of eyes stared in shock at the blond as he said something like that as casually as one would mention constant snow in the weather forecast. Senritsu's expression quickly turned into fear as she heard a stutter in Kurapika's heartbeat that most likely meant one thing.

"Who saw?"

The gaze of the three others quickly snapped to Senritsu, wondering what she was talking about. When Kurapika quietly answered with "Zenji", they failed to notice the shudder of horror that ran down her spine.

"Who's that and what did they see?"

Kurapika pushed himself away from the railing and stood with his arms crossed over his chest as part of his mind tried to see if he could predict Zenji's next move. "Zenji is one of, if not the highest ranking mafia boss under the, now deceased, Ten Dons. He gained his status by backstabbing and outpacing his competition and therefore hates the Nostrade family's rise in influence due to Neon's fortune-telling, and has no problem showing that hate openly.

"After… securing the pair of Scarlet Eyes from the underground auction I could no longer wear my black contacts and decided to walk back to the hotel in an attempt to calm down before arriving. Not too far outside the cemetery building, amid the debris from the night's earlier chaos, Zenji was waiting. He had his gun drawn well before demanding the eyes.

"Whether he truly wanted the eyes or if they were just a way to humiliate the Nostrade family I don't know. All I know is that he had every intention of killing me and taking the eyes, even if I had willingly surrendered them.

"Until I met his gaze.

"With the state of emotional unbalance I was in I have no doubt that my eyes were bright scarlet. I have no idea what I said to him, if I said anything at all as I walked past him. The only thing I know for certain was that he had pissed himself in fear.

"He may look less intelligent than a barnacle, but he reached his position by his own skills, I can almost guarantee it. Had he been using the skills of his subordinates, he would have been killed and replaced a long time ago."

Killua shrugged and piped up nonchalantly, "Want me to kill him for you?"

Kurapika shook his head slightly, arms still folded across his chest, "Unfortunately that would just prove to be counter-productive. An assassination leaves a distinct feeling on a body and such a thing would lead straight to the Nostrade family, even if someone else hired them."

Killua scratched the back of his head, trying to find the reasoning. "I don't see the connection."

"Then I take it you did not know your family had been hired by the Ten Dons to kill any Genei Ryodan that showed up at the underground auction after it had been rescheduled."

"The hell? Dad always told us to stay away from those guys; no amount of money was worth the hassle."

Kurapika was lost in thought as his mind went through several different scenarios. "Killua, would your family complete a contract if their employers died before it was finished?"

Killua shook his head, "No, assassination is a business transaction. The only way they would continue a contract would be if the target was stupid enough to go after them instead of fleeing."

"Is payment for the contract due before or after the target is eliminated?"

"It depends on the contract. Usually half before and half with proof of completion, but for something like going after the Genei Ryodan it would most likely be paid in full before accepting."

"If someone has made a contract with your family, could someone then take out a contract on them?"

"…yes… What are you getting at?"

"One more question. Can Illumi manipulate the dead with his pins? Or can he assume the voice of someone he recently killed?"

"No. Yes. Are you going to share with the rest of the class?"

The blond smiled slightly in amusement. "Clever, oh so very clever. No wonder you're a top-ranked criminal mastermind. I can't decide if he was able to plan it all in advance or if it had to be adapted after the Shadow Beasts secured the items from the original auction… No, they attacked the original auction with the intent of stealing everything and leaving no traces. Yet that would not explain why they had planned to leave the original auction in a hot air balloon, nor why all of the items were returned despite all of the Shadow Beasts being declared dead before the items were returned… Unless the one called Owl transported the items to a secure location determined by the Ten Dons before moving to engage the Genei Ryodan with the rest of the Shadow Beasts."

The four surrounding Kurapika were absolutely stunned into silence as he seemingly admired what had recently taken place. "Eh, what do you mean, heist? The Genei Ryodan went on a rampage and the items were sold as scheduled… rescheduled."

Kurapika looked over his friends for a moment, almost as if he was surprised that they hadn't reached the same conclusion yet. "The items sold during the rescheduled auction were all fakes."

He was greeted with only stupefied silence. Gon looked deep in concentration, honestly trying to figure out how Kurapika had reached that conclusion while Killua and Leorio were just waiting for the inevitable explanation.

"Let's give him the 'benefit of the doubt' and say that the entire thing, including the auction being rescheduled was planned; which means he played the Ten Dons like an instrument. The original auction was an announcement that the Genei Ryodan were in town and targeting the auction and its items. By using a hot air balloon to 'escape', they could wipe out a vast majority of mafia guards as well as drag out the Shadow Beasts to get them out of the way before they could be a nuisance.

"After which, they could then flee into the desert leaving the auction items behind to be reclaimed. Knowing their auction is targeted by the Genei Ryodan, their front line forces basically decimated and the Shadow Beasts dead the Ten Dons realize they're in over their heads. They can't back out or cancel the auction, it would prove weakness on their part, and in a cutthroat business even the smallest exposed weakness is exploitable.

"So the Ten Dons decide to fight with a bigger stick. The heads of the high ranking mafia families offer up their best, either in house or hired out, and the Dons pull out what they believe to be their trump card: Silva and Zeno Zoldyck.

"However, the Ten Dons are actually highly predictable so the leader of the Genei Ryodan had already been in contact with Killua's family and presented them with an irresistible offer. He took out a contract for all of the Ten Dons with the stipulation that once they were dead they would use a video conference to assure the mafia bosses that things were being taken care of and that the auction would go on as scheduled. He even offered to pay the full fee in advance if they accepted the contract and encouraged them to take the inevitable contract the Ten Dons would place on any Spider that made it into the auction. A win-win situation for Killua's family.

"The rampage the Genei Ryodan members went on outside the building as well as the very real fight between the three inside the building lent credibility to the corpses found in the aftermath as being real. That took off pressure from the Genei Ryodan giving them the ability to move a bit more freely so long as they were smart about it.

"Not all of the Genei Ryodan were 'killed' that night so I am going to presume that the ones still listed as 'alive' were ones that needed to be able to move freely in society without being listed as a known member… as well as the one that can produce copies.

"Between the fake corpses and the multiple copies of their hideout, it is obvious they have a member that can produce exact, if only inanimate, copies of things; the most probable form being through touch and with the exception of their own person. The copies were made backstage right before an item was put up for bid. When I was reflecting earlier I realized that the person who pulled the items from backstage to be bid on was that memory manipulator, Pakunoda. If she was there, other members had to be there as well.

"This plan gave the Genei Ryodan a nice victory. They claimed all of the auction items, which could be sold at a tidy sum on the black market later, as well as the money from the mafia families that purchased the fake items thanks to access to the dead Dons' accounts and they slaughtered a good portion of the mafia while sending the message that this was done by monsters they created and use. With the confirmation that the corpses had no IDs because they were from Meteor City, all bounties were dropped quickly."

A ways down the street Kuroro couldn't help but smile as he pretended to read a book. He was outside the normal range of hearing for humans and what he couldn't hear he had been able to lip read. Yet another under-used skill that always came in so handy. He watched the group mess around with each other for a bit, mostly play-bickering, before they left the area.

Closing his book he couldn't help but admire the entangling web his chain-using butterfly was weaving without knowing it. He knew where his prey was headed and that granted him some freedom to prepare his own portion of the trap; and he knew just where to start.

A few moments later, in an abandoned building near the edges of the desert and Yorknew City a particular sound cut through the night. Hearing an alert from a high priority client, a lively Shalnark excused himself from the game of cards he and a few other members of Genei Ryodan had been killing time with to check the message.

Green eyes grew wide as he read the message from someone he had not been expecting to hear from. He read and re-read the short message a few times then nodded to himself, understanding the unwritten request. Pulling out a highly encrypted cell phone that he used only for his secondary work as an information broker, Shalnark called his client.

After a few rings the call connected; with a smile Shalnark greeted his client, "Good evening Mr. Kristo, it has been a long time since you have had need of our services. I am always willing to work out a deal with one such as yourself; however, your request was vague. Could you please give me some further details as to the exact nature of the information you are looking for?"

An hour later he found himself tapping the shoulder of Feitan as he browsed through another art book. "Fei? Would you be willing to help me with a project of mine? I could really use your talents, and I'll pay fairly."

Not having anything else to do at the time he agreed. Once out of earshot of the rest of the Genei Ryodan he stopped Shalnark. "Tell me what you left out."

The overly-cheerful blond just replied with a cryptic, "A high priority client is looking for very specific information from a very specific person."

Seeing that the smaller man would require more information he added, "Let's just say that so long as this information exchange can remain purely a business transaction, Danchou found an interesting loop-hole in the conditions set on him."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for this being so dialogue heavy, and yes I realize that it also heavily parallels the manga, but it is for a reason. And now it is out of the way and I can move on; so please bear with me.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The hot water of the shower served to ease the physical tension of his body, if only it could ease his troubled mind as well. He turned the cooling water off with a sigh and stepped out of the tub, careful to avoid any water accidentally pooled on the tiled floor.

With a heavy heart he looked at the two sets of clothes folded neatly on the counter as he dried off; as much as he longed to wear his old set of clothes, he had already made up his mind. He waited for what seemed to be an eternity before steeling his resolve and started dressing himself.

First came the undergarments; they were made of lightweight cotton and relatively comfortable, though the collar of the undershirt was wide and dipped below his collarbone and the sleeves stopped well before the shoulder joints. Then came the pants, a medium-weight wool blend to wear well as summer moved to autumn moved to winter. They were tailored and somehow allowed for full range of motion without the threat of tearing, though not as comfortably as his old pants. Next came the dress shirt, long sleeved and lightweight the cut was slightly baggy to, again, allow for full range of movement and buttoned tightly against his thin wrists.

He buttoned most of the dress shirt, leaving the top part open, before tucking it properly into his pants. Once the belt had been snaked through all of the loops and properly fastened, he used his towel to wipe the excess moisture from the mirror and grudgingly see the results.

Unwilling to view the overall effect just yet, he stared at his eyes, and the prominent bags under them. His eyes were a darker caramel color that day; still larger than average with the eyelashes closer to the outside points being naturally darker, helping to make them stand out. Cat eyes they had often been referred to after he left the confines of his village; before he left they had been more commonly referred to as fox eyes. More than once he had heard women titter behind his back, usually after he used 'puppy dog eyes' to get something extra, about how, had he born a girl, he would have grown up into a full-fledged vixen. He never could understood why they would say that, and still couldn't. Reluctantly he put in his black colored contacts; he hated them and they irritated his eyes to no end, but if they could help guard his heritage even slightly then he would suffer through.

Kurapika's eyes then drifted over to his exposed earrings and noted that they had changed color again. They seemed to cycle between various stages of a high quality diamond-like clear, sparkle included, to a translucent ruby to a red so deep they looked like solidified blood. Today it looked like they were caught in transition; like someone had let a thick drop of blood fall into a glass of pure spring water, froze it as the blood unfurled into ribbons and then turned it into an accessory. He never could find a cause or a pattern as to how or why they changed color. As far as he could tell, it wasn't due to his emotional state, nor if his eyes had turned scarlet, nor was he able to match it up to any lunar or seasonal patterns.

With another sigh he combed his now dry hair in a way that could conceal them. As much as he would love to display them proudly, he had found early on that they attracted would-be thieves like roadkill attracted carrion. Roughly half of the times he had been accosted after leaving his village had been due to his earrings; though the vast majority of _those_ turned into trying for something else as well.

Unable to prolong the inevitable any further he stepped back to assess his new look. He didn't look bad; but it was completely wrong, so very, very wrong. No longer did a proud Kurta warrior look back at him, hell he didn't even look like a body guard let alone the head bodyguard of a prominent mafia family. He wanted tear his suit off and hide behind the vestige of this lost clan; not because he was scared that he would turn into something else so much as he was afraid that he would forget who he was, where he came from and the culture that defined him. So long as he could remember, his clan's ways could live just a little longer; if he forgets anything then that part of his culture would disappear completely.

No pressure, right.

He buttoned the rest of his dress shirt, including the high collar, hiding his almost non-existent Adam's apple. With his lithe, willowy body he could still be mistaken for a flat-chested female wearing her boyfriend's clothing. That part he did not mind so much, the more unimposing he looked the higher his initial advantage when forced to fight. And as much as his friends liked to give him shit about it, he had used his effeminate frame to his advantage on several occasions, though never while they were within sight or hearing.

Feeling like he had pissed enough time away he slipped his thin black tie under the edges of his collar and got ready to tie it. While it wasn't as flashy as the ones Leorio preferred, it served its purpose. A sudden pounding on the bathroom door interrupted his thoughts.

"Oi, Kurapika!"

…_speak of the devil…_

"You've been in there a lot longer than normal, did you melt or something?"

Kurapika shook his head, wondering where Leorio found some of his ideas. Calmly he called out through the door as he went to open it, tie still undone and hanging loosely against his chest, "I am not made out of sugar, Leorio. I am in no danger of 'melting'."

He could hear Leorio laugh before replying, "Yeah, well if there was any possibility of you being made of sugar I am fairly certain Killua would have tried to gnaw off one of your limbs when he ran out of his treats."

The door finally opened fully and soon he found Leorio's face very, very close as he was studied. Eventually Leorio queried, "Who are you supposed to be?"

Kurapika felt his eye twitch in irritation and slammed the door shut, hard, in Leorio's intruding face before he realized it. On the other side of the closed door he could hear Leorio make pained sounds while muttering, "Doesn't _look_ like him but that was definitely a Kurapika reaction."

Irritation fully evident in his face, Kurapika flung the door open as quickly as he had shut it while trying to keep his voice at a moderate level, "What do you mean I don't look like myself!"

Leorio's eyes grew wide and his face paled having obviously forgotten, again, about Kurapika's acute hearing. He stammered slightly before getting a hold of himself and replied with his 'trademarked' smarmy (or so he believed) tone, "I didn't mean that you don't look like yourself, it's just a completely different look! You look more like a high class Host than a kid from the country, is all."

Kurapika narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, "…a Host…"

The doctor-in-training tried to not panic completely. The cold tone the Kurta used probably meant one of three things. A.) He had no idea what a Host was, II) He knew what a Host was and was not happy, 3) He had heard of what a Host was but wanted to confirm its definition in relation to how it was used. He opted for 'Curtain Number 3' and prayed he would survive any potential physical retaliation. "Yeah, you know, a Host; a handsome young man who gets paid to keep ladies company."

The blonde's eyes remained narrowed and cold, "…so you think I look like a man-whore…"

For some reason Leorio got the feeling that he was not only digging his own grave, but tying his own noose and stringing it to the gallows as he tried verbal backpedaling for damage control. "Hosts aren't prostitutes, there is no sex involved…" he lowered his voice to a bare whisper and muttered the rest of that sentence out of the side of his mouth, "…usually." He heard more than saw Kurapika's fist clench and he ended up flailing his arms while he tried to find some metaphor that his friend wouldn't know or take the wrong way. "Calling a Host a prostitute would be like calling… chartreuse green!"

Leorio nodded with a smile, confident that even his overly intelligent friend wouldn't know such an obtuse and rarely referred to color.

"…chartreuse _is_ green, Leorio…"

Shit.

Was there nothing Kurapika _didn't_ know? "Yes, but it's more _yellow_ than green!" Leorio nodded emphatically, sure that his logic was infallible this time.

Kurapika remained stationary for a moment, as if he was thinking through Leorio's brilliant counterpoint. Finally he replied softly, "So, to be more specific, you think that I look like a 'soft-core variant' of a man-whore…"

Leorio figured that at that point he had approximately thirty seconds to derail the conversation before he was killed. Or at least be in a position where he wished he would be killed. "Remind me again as to why you decided to change styles? I know you mentioned something about it, but I don't think it stuck."

The Kurta's anger seemed to dissipate immediately and he slid past Leorio to stand in front of the mirror in the bedroom while tugging on the ends of his tie. "Even though I do not plan to go after the Genei Ryodan, retrieving the eyes of my clan will still require me to follow similarly dark and twisted paths. I do not wish to stain the honor of my clan any further than I already have; what comes next will be on my hands only."

With that Kurapika fiddled some more with the tie, not really attempting to tie it. Leorio moved behind the blond and wrapped his arms around him. Grasping the tie he murmured, "Here's a trick my dad taught me." He held the tie properly then slowly started to tie it, "The fox chases the rabbit _around_ the tree and _down_ the hole." He then cinched up the tie to where it rested snugly against Kurapika's throat without choking him then looked at his handy work in the mirror.

Kurapika also looked at what Leorio had done in the mirror and couldn't help but chuckle softly as he pointed out, "It's lop-sided." Classic Leorio; perfectly imperfect in a carefree way.

Instead of getting flustered like normal though, Leorio pulled Kurapika back into a hug, arms folded around his narrow frame just below his shoulders. Kurapika found himself at an odd angle as his lower body hadn't moved, but he knew that he was in no danger of falling; he raised his hands so they rested on Leorio's forearms but made no sign of breaking the hold. His shoulders rested against Leorio's chest and he could feel his gentle heartbeat, as well as the defined muscles of his upper torso, through the thin fabric of their dress shirts but he was still soft. And warm. And comforting… Safe. Another example of classic Leorio; at least when he wasn't being a perverted, womanizing dick.

Time slowed for the duo, for them it seemed like they spent hours enjoying the quiet solace against each other. In truth only a few heartbeats passed before Leorio broke the stillness. "You know, one of the first things that even novice doctors learn is that deep wounds, when not healed or treated properly, become infected and fester."

The smaller Hunter just gave an affirmative sound from the back of his throat. While Leorio looked straight at their reflection Kurapika found he was unable to do the same, choosing instead to keep his gaze unfocused and near the bottom corner of the mirror.

"And when that happens," Leorio kept murmuring into the crown of gold hair, "the wound needs to be reopened and all infection needs to be lanced and drained." His voice got a bit firmer, just enough to stress his words as serious, "All infection, not just bits and pieces. And that goes for all types of wounds, not just the physical ones.

"While I could be wrong, I am fairly certain you opened up one hell of a deep emotional wound recently. Even though I have yet to take the Hippocratic Oath and become an official doctor, it would be negligent of me if I didn't make sure as much of the infection as possible was cleaned out. With that being the case, I want to ask a few questions, and I would appreciate some form of answer. It could just be a 'yes' or 'no' if that is more comfortable; you don't have to go into detail if you don't want to."

"And if I lie?"

Leorio shook his head, "You won't. You may have prepared yourself to do whatever it takes to get those eyes back, but I believe that deep down you still want to hold on to your code of honor. Even at the start of the Hunter Exam you flat out said that lying served no real purpose and would prefer to stay silent than do something that detestable. So _I_ believe that you would prefer to stay quiet instead of lying, _especially_ to a friend."

Kurapika looked up at Leorio's reflection for a moment, startled. "You actually listened to me? I could have sworn you spent most of the boat ride complaining about how I was not calling you 'MR.' Leorio."

Leorio just gave a small chuckle and tightened his bear hug on the blond slightly. "Nice try, but you're not going to distract me into banter this time. I do remember that your ride to the airport will be here all too soon.

"I'll start out just reaffirming some things. I _would_ like you to answer me, but the important thing is that you can answer yourself.

"You do not have any intention of pursuing any member of the Genei Ryodan, correct?"

"Yes."

"If you happen to meet a member of the Genei Ryodan on the street you do not plan to attack, either then or later; correct?"

"Yes."

"You do not have any plans that will intentionally shorten your lifespan, correct?"

Kurapika was silent for a moment and when he replied his voice had grown soft. "If you are asking if I am planning to commit suicide, I am not. I am the only one who can, and should, retrieve the eyes of my clan. I do not have any idea how long it will take me, nor do I know what will happen afterwards. I _do_ know that committing suicide, or jumping into unnecessary reckless actions is counterproductive to my goal.

"My prior recklessness was because I was focused on trying to destroy the Spider… before I realized how futile such attempts were."

Leorio said nothing in response but gave a comforting squeeze before continuing. "Is there a reason why you do not want to rely on the strengths of your friends while you do this?"

Another pause, this one longer than the first, "I am done losing the people I care about. I truly had not meant to create attachments with anyone; but somehow I stumbled upon a group of individuals who had no problems involving themselves in my life, unasked, when I refused to reach out on my own. None of your lives should be suspect or forfeit just because of who or what I am.

"I can understand your desire to help by standing beside me as I walk this crooked path that lies ahead; but I hope _you_ can understand that I do not want any of you there. It is not because I do not trust your strength; it is because it gives me another reason to make sure I come back."

Leorio found himself taken back; it was not a response he had thought of. "I think I can understand that. Instead of staying by your side, we'll make sure to light your way whenever you feel lost… and make sure you have a home to return to."

Kurapika didn't say anything, but Leorio saw the small smile reflecting in the mirror and knew it had been the right decision. With another squeeze of a comforting bear hug, he continued. "Back during the Hunter Exam you mentioned that you were worried that your anger against the Genei Ryodan would fade, correct?"

He could feel Kurapika stiffen slightly against him, "Yes."

"Is that because you believe or suspect that there is a person, or group of people, who are ultimately more responsible for the massacre of your clan?"

There was a pregnant pause and Kurapika averted his gaze once more. When he answered, "…yes…" it was so quiet that Leorio could barely hear it.

With a frown Leorio pushed forward. In truth he hadn't expected that answer either, but he had every intention of making Kurapika loosen his hold on as many negative feelings about his past as possible. It wasn't a foolproof plan and held the possibility of causing more harm than good; but if there was any chance of helping then he was going to try. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, after all.

"Who."

For several moments the silence was deafening. From the myriad of anguished emotions crossing the blonde's face Leorio figured he had found a rather large 'emotional puss pocket' that was in dire need of lancing. He waited patiently for almost a minute, which felt like an eternity when stretched out in silence as his friend suffered. He hugged Kurapika tightly against him until he sagged heavily against his chest.

He opened his mouth to ask another question when the blond finally answered in a whisper, "…myself…"

Leorio had heard plenty of surprising revelations that night but that one took the cake. Though in a crazy sort of way it made sense; why else would he be so hell-bent on revenge if not to correct whatever mistakes he believed he made. But still…"How could you possibly think that? You were _TWELVE_!"

"How could I not?!" Kurapika's voice was edged with hysteria; while it had risen in volume it was still barely more than a whisper. "Because of me and my stupid mistakes everyone, _EVERYONE_ from my childhood now lies rotting under a pile of dirt. I should have died that day, but I didn't… everyone else did. Something got thrown out of balance and what in the hell is one life worth compared to an entire village, an entire _culture_!

"And don't tell me I can 'get busy' and make a new village. The damned, stupid eyes are the base of it and it's due to a rare genetic marker found only in purebloods. Why do you think there are only 36 pairs of eyes on the market when there were 128 killed? It would take at _least_ three successive generations, all from _inbreeding_, in order to have even a _possibility_ to create true purebloods. And inbreeding is _never_ a good answer.

"I'm the last one, Leorio. When I die the only proof we ever existed are the eyes that were stolen. The people who own them don't care that they once belonged to someone who should be alive. They don't give a shit that they were removed while being forced to watch everyone they love be tortured just to get them to be the right shade of red. Just to get the highest price on the black market. To them they're nothing more an object, a frivolous way to flaunt their wealth. Those assholes don't deserve to own such things and my clansmen sure as hell deserve better!"

"…all because of me and my stupid, stupid mistakes…"

Despite being in the safety of his friend's arms so many years after the fact, he felt like he was twelve again and completely helpless. In his mind's eye he was no longer in a cheap apartment room but was instead standing in the remains of his village, the corpses of his kin and their hollow eye sockets accusing him of his sins, blaming him for the horrible way they died and knowing they are right. With that Kurapika covered his eyes with the heels of his palms… and silently broke down.

Leorio's heart ached fiercely at his friend's suffering. He forcibly turned Kurapika around and literally gave the blonde his shoulder to cry on… or at least tried to. He ended up giving Kurapika his chest to cry on thanks to the height difference. He was amazed at how quiet the blond was as he alternated between stroking his hair and rubbing his back as comfortingly as he could. The only reason he knew that Kurapika was crying at all was because his body was trembling but mostly because his shirt was getting wet.

It was right about then that Leorio realized that the last time Kurapika had been comforted in such a manner would most likely have been done by one of his parents; before the genocide. A part of him wondered if the young Hunter in his arms had ever been able to fully grieve the catastrophic loss; and he too wanted to break down and cry. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the desire to be strong for Kurapika; he could break down later.

Eventually Kurapika's body stopped shaking and his breathing evened out, Leorio continued to hold their upper bodies close and focused on rubbing small circles along the blonde's spine. "I know this has to be hard for you, but I want you to keep going. You're not alone anymore, Kurapika; and you're going to shatter or die inside if you continue to keep everything bottled up.

He got no response but then again, he wasn't really expecting one. "First of all, I want you to know something. Yes, Gon helped both of us see our potential to pass the Hunter Exam; but more than him, _you_ helped me pass.

"And then there was the shipmate who went overboard after leaving Whale Island. Had you and I not gotten into our little spat I doubt I would have been in any position to catch Gon when he dove after. Even if I had, I couldn't have held onto them long enough for them to be hauled up. I'm strong but not that strong, especially in that massive storm.

"Then there was Hisoka's ambush in the swamp during the second half of the first part. If you hadn't gotten in front of me and deflected his cards I would have died for sure. I had no idea anything was even coming to know to dodge, let alone dodge accurately.

"Let's not forget what happened in the cave with the snakes." He felt Kurapika tense and was fairly certain it was in order to deny any responsibility of getting out of the cave. "Before you say anything, I talked to Gon about it while en route to the final stage. He told me that he hadn't even considered Bourbon having the antidote on him until you started to go take it yourself. _He_ knew that you wouldn't do something like that, knowing what the outcome would be, unless you were positive that it was on his corpse.

"Gon also remembered something his Aunt Mito had once told him, that too much medicine is sometimes worse than none. He didn't trust himself to give the right amount of antidote, but he had complete faith that you did. _That_ is why he stopped you from retrieving it.

"We got out of that cave thanks to Gon's inhuman ability to hold his breath for so long. But I am _alive_ because _you_ were there.

Even though he couldn't see Kurapika's facial expression and the blond had not moved in any way during his monologue, he knew that he was analyzing and digesting everything that had been said. And he wasn't done yet. "You may not know it, but it was because of your influence that I passed the entrance exam to medical school."

He felt Kurapika's body stiffen against him again in confusion. "It's true. The Hunter's License just waves the tuition; I still have to pass everything on my own. Even though we haven't seen each other since we got Killua back, every time I was about to give up at the hopelessness of knowing enough to get into med school I could hear your voice in my head. Yelling at me, chastising me or giving me straight up encouragement in your own way until I got off my ass and started studying again. While I didn't get a perfect entrance score, I got better than average… without cheating. And it was all because I met you.

"I, for one, am very glad that you are both alive and my friend; and I'm fairly certain Gon, Killua and Senritsu feel similarly. So please stop feeling like the world would be better if you had died back then."

Leorio fell silent again and contented himself with holding his friend for a bit longer. Kurapika eventually turned his head and rested it just under Leorio's collarbone; at which point the doctor-in-training started question his choice of deodorant for the day… or rather, if he remembered to apply it. He then fidgeted a bit more until his side was leaning against Leorio for support; not as an act of intimacy so much as the emotional toll was fatiguing.

Leorio tightened his embrace slightly and started to speak again, using a tone much like that of a parent comforting a child. Not that he had any disillusion about Kurapika being considered a child, but in his current state of vulnerability using anything that could be considered forceful, strong or pushy would just serve to set the progress they've made back a few steps. "I can understand if you don't want to continue this conversation, but if we stop here we may as well not have even started. I'm not doing this to be pushy, or pry into your personal history. I'm doing this because I care about you, and I'm worried about you."

Kurapika didn't say anything but did give a half-hearted acknowledgement in acquiescence to Leorio's pseudo-request. Logically what Leorio was asking of him made perfect sense and was the correct course of action; but it was harder than it sounded. Even though he was prepared when Leorio asked, "What is the main, or at least one of the main reasons you believe that you are responsible?" it took him some time to convince the lump in his constricted throat to go away.

"The timing; we had lived segregated from society for well over a hundred years, a few weeks after I fucked up and lost my temper in a populated area everybody died. There is no way that could just be a coincidence. Had Pairo not…" Kurapika shook his head slightly; it sounded like he was blaming his dear friend and that was something he could never do, so he tried again. "Had things gone differently I wouldn't have been in that town to lose my temper."

Leorio frowned as he thought it over. It did seem logically plausible, but he refused to accept that answer. "Okay, but what about that klutzy Hunter in training woman you mentioned. Sheila, wasn't it?"

"Another thing that could have been avoided had I just died. Pairo never left the outskirts of the village unless I had convinced him otherwise, even before the accident. Had we not found her she would have either died from exposure or one of the hunters."

Leorio's frown deepened hearing how cold Kurapika was about the life of someone he had shown a semblance of respect for. "I meant, how did _she_ find your territory? If someone as seemingly unprepared as her could find it, how hard would it be for A-class bounties on a mission?

"And what about the elder's ability to contact those thugs he paid to make you fail? Cell phones have the ability to be easily tracked if you know what you're doing. And how hard is it to single out a signal in the middle of a forest?"

Kurapika was stunned; partly because Leorio had presented a well thought out and logical counterargument and partly because it was a valid point. He had spent so much of the past few years too close to the pain to be able to acknowledge any other possibilities.

Thanks to Leorio's meddling he was forced to take a step back and view things in a disassociated light. While it's true that the timing of his exit test was too perfect to be irrelevant, the Genei Ryodan would have already had to have things in motions before then. If what he gathered over the past week or so was accurate, then the Spider head would have already had a general location before gathering his subordinates for the genocide.

The Lusko Province is large and heavily wooded and could take several days of hiking to get from the edge of the forest to the actual village if you didn't have a quick and sturdy mount. It would take longer if you didn't know the way or how to spot the markers for the trails; not to mention the various layers of wards and barriers to keep the village hidden. And, Uvo _had_ mentioned that the village had been a pain in the ass to find, once he had the visual reminder of Kurapika's own Scarlet Eyes. Then he would have to add the travel time for the members to regroup.

If he dissected what Hisoka had mentioned during their pseudo-alliance correctly, then the group only met as a whole every couple of years or so, seemingly at the whim of their leader. When not brought together for a common goal they went their separate ways and did whatever they wanted across the globe. Theoretically it would take about a month for the summons to go out and everyone to get to the destination; maybe less if he was in a rush but the Spider head seemed to be a patient man.

If he looked at it from that standpoint, then the genocide machinations were already turning by the time he went Outside for the first time. That also meant that him being alive was, basically, an accident. Either that or some higher power had a plan for him that did not include being killed just yet. Kurapika couldn't decide if that particular possibility was a good thing or not as he hadn't been old enough to be fully indoctrinated in the religious studies of his Clan.

This new viewpoint helped to alleviate his guilty conscience a bit. While he still felt the guilt of being alive while everyone else from his village was not, it was not as unbearably oppressive as it had been; nor did it threaten to devour his very soul.

Leorio watched as Kurapika's eyes widen in surprise then close with a slight furrow in his brow; an indicator that the blond was deep in thought. He had a feeling that had his weight not been resting against his body, Kurapika would most likely have folded his arms as well; he tended to close himself off from external stimuli when he needed concentration.

A harsh squawking sound broke the silence, startling the pair. With a soft sigh Kurapika righted himself and made his way over to the intercom to answer the summons, muttering "I guess this is it," as he went. Within a few moments Kurapika had confirmed that his transportation had arrived and had assured the driver that he would be down shortly.

He then busied himself with making sure that everything he was taking with him had been collected and packed away in his new, more urban, leather duffle bag. As he packed he looked over to where Leorio was standing and gave a small smile.

"It was good seeing you and the kids again. With my field-promotion sticking, unfortunately, my schedule is going to be quite tight in the coming days. While I would love to be able to make plans to see everyone in the near future, I cannot give any sort of a timeline for when I will be available next." A frown crossed his face as he added, "I do not even know how often I will be able to answer personal calls."

Kurapika draped his duffel bag over his shoulder then slipped into his new dress shoes and the coat of his suit. As he opened the door he turned towards his silent friend once more, "Thank you, Leorio. For everything."

He stepped out into the hallway and as the door was closing behind him he added, "You're going to be a great doctor, Leorio. I have complete faith in that."

As the door shut Leorio listened to Kurapika's soft tread recede as he left. Neither one had said goodbye, that word was too final. They left the unspoken sentiment hang in the air between them and hoped that their paths crossed more often in the future.

His eyes then drifted towards the familiar duffel bag that the blond had left in his care. The bag which seemed to be able to hold more than it should now held all physical affects Kurapika had acquired and kept for the past five years. He had entrusted Leorio with his possessions since his future could feasibly require him to abandon everything at a moment's notice; it would be easier to reclaim them at a later time if they were left with a friend than at a prior employer's house.

He had no idea if, let alone when, the Kurta would be able to come see him for a visit. A part of him wondered if Kurapika would ever have a life stable enough to find somewhere to place roots and call home. From the way it sounded, they might not be able to see each other in a few months like this time; at least not without stalking the Nostrade mafia family and hoping for the best.

But mafia families keep to their own circles of communication. Not even Hunters have full access to the happenings within the mafia community so just 'happening' to be in the area is going to be more luck than anything. And then there was med school. He finally got accepted and like hell he was going to go through that application nightmare a second time!

Leorio then looked straight down, to the tent in his pants thanks to the massive boner he had popped when trying to be all suave and help with tying Kurapika's tie. Not all of the pauses during their talk had been for dramatic purposes, or even to give Kurapika time to think; it was more to regain his self-control and keep from grabbing the Kurta by his hips and humping his man-meat between the firm globes of his ass like a rutting animal. He was pretty sure that such an act could only end in pain for him; and he much preferred all of his body parts attached and in the correct location, thank you very much.

There was just something about the blond that made Leorio want to bend him over and establish sexual dominance. It even got to the point during their time apart that he had even questioned his sexual orientation. But he was still very much attracted to buxom women who had enough meat on top as well as on bottom for grabbable handfuls of fleshy goodness. And, as a whole, men still did not turn him on; even effeminate guys with the same body type as Kurapika.

It was sometime around the end of his sexual orientation experiment that he realized something significant. Kurapika was the exception because, somehow, during their short time together he had fallen hard for the blond. Despite their volatile, bi-polar relationship, he was completely in love, and lust, with Kurapika.

But over the past week as he watched Kurapika barrel headfirst down a self-destructive path, and as he finally learned more about his past and the overwhelming burden he shouldered, he was faced with an ugly reality. He wasn't the one who could make Kurapika happy.

Oh, he could dream that one day he'd answer the door to find Kurapika there with a shy smile having buried enough of his demons in order to live his own life, and wanting to live it with him. But his chances at such a future were slimmer than him getting a perfect grade point for his entire med school career.

The best he could hope for is to be a constant in the Kurta's life; a proverbial eye in the hurricane of his life. And, if he was lucky, he would be able to find someone he could love as much as he loved the blond. He was man enough to admit exactly how much he loved Kurapika, even if it was only to himself.

He loved him enough to let him go.


	4. Chapter 2 Interlude

**Interlude**

It didn't take Leorio long to pick up the small apartment to make it suitable for guests; Gon and Killua were stopping by before going to the Greed Island try-outs. He moved Kurapika's bag to a semi-conspicuous place in the living area, next to a table that was against a wall and had a single framed photo adorning it. He looked at the silver frame with a small grin, he was pretty sure the absent blond wouldn't mind. He had found the photo while exploring the contents of Kurapika's bag, and from the note that was just underneath it, apparently Kurapika had expected him to do something along that line.

While nothing about the apartment was grand, Leorio had been able to rent it cheap for just a month and it came sparsely furnished. He had found and rented it for the month of September before meeting with the kids; he had hoped to invite a certain blonde over for some quiet bonding time. Okay, so he had hoped to get Kurapika in his bed; he just never thought he would be partially successful due to a severe burn-out that damn near killed his love interest.

A series of violent knocks threatened to bust his door down right before the knob turned. The door opened to show two boys as visibly opposite as could be. "Oi, old man. You went senile again and forgot to lock your door. Even for a professional Hunter that's not a smart move in a neighborhood like this."

Leorio made a face as immature as the two, "I left it open since I knew you were coming and didn't want to pay for a new door. I know how destructive you two can get."

Gon just gave a sheepish smile and an apologetic laugh as the kids let themselves into Leorio's apartment. Warm brown eyes lit up in excited anticipation as they fell upon the familiar bag belonging to the absent teen. "Kurapika's still here!" came the hopeful cry as Gon's footsteps sped up to find their other friend.

Leorio gave a sad smile and gently broke the news, "Sorry, Gon. Kurapika had to leave late last night in order to keep his position." Even though Gon kept smiling, it didn't quite reach his eyes like it had a few heartbeats earlier. "He did, however, want me to pass along that he was glad he was able to spend what time he could with everyone and that he hoped to be able to do it again in the future even though he couldn't give a timeframe for when he'd be free. He also felt like he should apologize _again_ for getting everyone mixed up in the Genei Ryodan mess; even though technically we involved ourselves without his knowledge or consent."

Killua clasped his hands behind his head as he wandered aimlessly through the living area; he knew Gon had really been looking forward to seeing Kurapika one last time, though the chance that he was still around had been slim to none. Even he would have liked to hang out with their 'den mother' of the odd little family they made at least once more.

Seeing the cover of the Kurta's bag slightly skewed, Killua couldn't help but grin like the cat that got the cream. "Hey, old man, Kurapika used a cab to the airport right?" Without even waiting for an answer his grin deepened, full of mischief. "Did you even wait until he was out of the building before you turned into a 'Panty Raider' with the things he left with you?"

Leorio got flustered immediately, proving Killua's theory. Leorio automatically retorted with "I'll have you know that Kurapika doesn't wear panties!" While Killua had meant panties to be inclusive of all underwear types, Leorio could only attribute panties to the skimpy pieces of lace that lingerie supermodels sported. Both males were struck with the mental image of the blond wearing nothing but the other's comments on the Kurta's supposed underwear choice; though Leorio's brain also included Kurapika giving him a teasing, coquettish pose to go with the bit of black lace that barely left anything to the imagination.

Gon was oblivious to the ensuing ruckus behind him as he stared intently at the sepia-toned picture in the simple frame. Even though the three figures in the picture seemed like a close-knit family and could pass for an example of the epitome of carefree happiness, Gon couldn't help but feel a bit sad. "Ehm, Leorio? This is Kurapika and his family, isn't it?"

The question made Killua blink and cease his pestering of their gangly friend to see what Gon was talking about. He tuned out Leorio telling Gon that Kurapika had asked him to take special care of it and that it had been taken just a month or so before the genocide while he tried to figure out what dampened Gon's spirits.

The photo itself didn't scream anything out of the ordinary to Killua so he decided to dissect the scene with an Assassin's eye. After all, the details tell the true story; or so his dad kept telling him.

On the left side of the photo was a man who appeared to be slightly taller than average with broad shoulders that were almost imperceptively hunched and sloped which made Killua feel safe to assume that he was more of a scholar than a warrior. Even though the man didn't share many physical facial features with their friend, he wore an amused grin that Kurapika often had when he was trying to not actively encourage their antics.

On the right was a woman of small stature, both in height and weight, barely reaching the man's shoulders. Her shoulders were squared and proud, both her eyes and smile were wide and full of energy and mischief. She gave off the vibe of a fighter, even if it wasn't her 'assigned role' in the clan; one who would fight tooth and nail to protect the ones she loved and defend what she believed in. Not just any type of fighter either, but a spunky, high-energy firebrand; the kind most likely to be a problematic opponent. Kurapika was definitely his mother's child.

He had just started to study the pint-sized version of Kurapika when Gon quietly asked, "Do you think he'll ever be able to smile like that again?" Killua found that he too wondered the same thing. Sure they've seen Kurapika smile and laugh, but it had always been guarded and muted; almost like he unconsciously felt guilty for being happy.

The child version of the blond looked very much like his mother as she held him over her shoulder; even their mischievous expressions were all but identical, like they had just pulled the mother of all pranks. If that Kurapika had been able to step out of the picture frame and into the living area, Killua didn't doubt that the blond would not only keep up with Gon and himself but probably run them ragged. He somehow had a secure grasp on a very thick book in his small right hand; Killua couldn't help but imagine that the subject was advanced physics or something equally involved. Becoming a walking encyclopedia doesn't happen overnight, after all.

He then noticed a slight oddity in the photo. Looking closer he could make out that a couple of smaller butterflies had decided to use mini-Kurapika's head as a resting place, acting like unintentional hair ornaments. Killua barely repressed an amused snort; even nature thought he looked more like a girl than a boy.

Leorio was speaking again, assuring Gon that while nothing is certain, they would all do their best to make it happen and that what happened after he woke up from his collapse was a step in the right direction. Gon seemed to accept the answer and Killua knew that he had resolved to help see Kurapika truly happy no matter what. He didn't want to spoil his determination by pointing out that there was no guarantee that any of them would ever see the blond again. Not with his position as a head bodyguard for a mafia family, nor with his goal of retrieving the eyes of his dead clan at any cost. Not to mention he was habitually way too serious and a chronic workaholic.

Gon could tell that Killua was doubtful of what Leorio had said, but was glad that he kept it to himself. He had to believe that they would be able to see Kurapika free from his burdens and truly happy; to doubt is to deny the outcome. At least that's what his Aunt Mito and great-grandmother had raised him to believe anyway.

There was something bothering him about the photo. When it finally clicked in his head he looked over at Leorio and asked, "Doesn't the outfit that Kurapika's mom is wearing look like what he was wearing while in Yorknew?"

Leorio's eyes opened wide in shock at Gon's innocent observation. While he had noticed that the clothes Kurapika had managed to stow in his bag had a worn quality to them, he hadn't even considered the possibility that the clothes had come from the Kurta's village. Especially since Kurapika had off-handedly admitted that he hadn't been back since he got done burying his village.

A part of him was impressed at the blonde's foresight and ability to predict his growth spurts, as well as his resourcefulness. Another part of him tried to ignore the fact that, even if it wasn't intentional, Kurapika had basically been walking around as a Trap. A small voice tried to reason that since only one person knew the specifics of the tribal-wear, it was possible that such an outfit was not actually gender specific. But there was another, more treacherous part of him that wondered why Kurapika wouldn't wear other types of female outfits; like a French maid, or a naughty nurse. He had already posed as a sexy receptionist, even if it was just a disguise in order to capture the elusive leader of the Genei Ryodan.

He shook his head, trying to clear the scandalous imagery out of his mind. They were not thoughts that he should be entertaining while in the presence of minors. Especially since one of them could probably pick his dirty imagination apart and tease him until he died of embarrassment.

Leorio found himself blabbering something about going out for ice cream while trying to usher the kids out of the temporary apartment. From the Cheshire grin Killua was giving him, he was pretty sure the pint-sized assassin had figured out exactly what he was trying to hide. And he was ready to rub it in whenever possible.

Damn him.

* * *

Interludes are snippets of indeterminate length that correspond with but are not included with the prior chapter. Not all chapters warrant interludes. It is…whimsy


	5. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Sitting down heavily at the edge of his bed Kurapika glared at the items on his nightstand. While his position as the head bodyguard furthered his own goals, sometimes he really hated having to coddle a spoiled princess whom had no regards for any of her entourage.

Case and point having been early that morning when she whined her way into getting her over-protective father to let her go to an autumn festival in the middle of a snow storm with just a single bodyguard and her maids in waiting. The pampered teen had ignored all weather reports and chose instead to wear something made mostly of lace and taffeta and a simple, lightweight scarf because it was the cutest outfit she had. So when she got cold five steps away from the car she had demanded Kurapika's heavy winter trench coat.

Because he was hired specifically as her bodyguard and contractually obligated to place her safety above his own, he was legally required to hand over his coat and spend the next five hours in the first major snowstorm of the season following her from outdoor booth to outdoor booth until she wore herself out. He knew that she would pull a stunt like that and had no idea why had he ignored his instincts to ask Eliza to bring one of Neon's winter jackets that she would actually wear before they left. Most likely because she was already in hysterics and just wanted to get it over and done with.

Without his jacket, Kurapika's medium weight suit absorbed the snow and kept it close to his body. He managed to avoid getting hypothermia, but because he hadn't fully recovered from the stress he had put his body through back in Yorknew City he was now shivering from a high fever and glaring at a packet of bitter medicine that was mocking him from his nightstand.

He shook his head in disgust at how weak his body had become over the past month. Granted, he had pushed it past its limits on more than one occasion within the span of a few days, but still. So there he was, crawling under an excessive amount of blankets before the sun set to, hopefully, sleep like the dead and wake up in the morning well enough to continue his duties.

Taking one last look at the still unopened packet of bitter medicine Kurapika rationalized that he would just rest with a cool rag on his forehead to help reduce the fever. If he was able to sleep until morning that _should_ take care of most, if not all, of the crud trying to work its way through his system so he could hold off on taking the bitter medicine unless he woke up in a few hours. It was a shame his healing chain wasn't really meant for viruses.

He had already informed his fellow bodyguards as well as his employer to not expect him out of his room until the morning. Since Senritsu was the one who gave him the packet of bitter medicine he was fairly certain that she had heard the dampness in his lungs and decided to leave it to her if their employer needed a further explanation as to why he had excused himself.

With his affairs for the day settled, Kurapika burrowed under the extra blankets he had thrown over his bed and quickly fell asleep.

Hours later, well after the sun had set and all but the minimum amount of guards were asleep, a lone figure crested over the high wall on the far edge of the Nostrade family property. The intruder landed softly, alerting neither dogs nor guards.

Without his Nen, Kuroro reverted to pure, old-skool breaking and entering; after memorizing the floor plans and other necessities, of course. Granted, his thievery skills did not depend on his Nen, his Nen just made it easier to accomplish more complex and hefty hauls. Dark gray clothes that were just loose enough to allow complete freedom of movement obscured his physical features, including his hair and face. Tools of the trade as well as a few leftover goodies from a prior 'silent second story job' were neatly tucked away in deep pockets.

Pulling out a couple of tools from a lock picking kit, he made his way to the back-up generator's circuit breaker. He opened the box quickly and studied the wires. After a few moments he picked out two and stripped off a small section of the protective plastic on each. That done, he moved the two exposed wires until they touched and immediately clamped them together with a gadget Shalnark had prototyped a few years ago.

Kuroro activated the device with a smirk as he had just given himself a free pass inside the mansion. The device, when active, hijacks the signals going through the electric and cable lines so the security alarms and closed circuit monitors are tricked into thinking that the grounds are still safe and intruder free. By using the secondary circuitry the break-in would be much less likely to be noticed until he was done and gone. Not to mention he would be able to retrieve it the next day or so, so long as no one thought to check the back-up systems. If things went perfectly, he would be nothing more than a ghost; though things rarely went _that_ perfectly.

When he had watched the property earlier in the night he had noticed one room on the bottom floor that did not have any lights turned on after the sunset; so it was likely just an unused store room or guest room. The fact that it was on the opposite side of the estate from the dog kennels was just icing on the cake. Fortunately the ground had been warm enough that the vast majority of the snow that fell that morning had already melted so he didn't have to be careful about leaving tracks in snow.

Kuroro crouched and stealth-ran from one pool of shadows to another until he was directly under the window he had spied earlier. It was locked, of course, but with a few deft movements from wires and a file-like tool from his lock-picking set, the latch popped open soundlessly. The window itself swung open quietly as well, indicating to Kuroro that it was either used frequently or a lot of effort was taken to keep the entire mansion running at peak condition.

He slipped in, as quiet as a ghost, and shut and locked the window behind him. No need to call attention to his access point; the longer his entry could go unnoticed the more of his goal could be accomplished. As he slid the latch home though, a small sound came from behind him causing him to freeze. The door to the hallway had been shut and no extra light had broken the din so that meant that someone, or something, was already in the room.

He waited one minute, then two; when no other sound or movement came he relaxed slightly and took in his surroundings. Kuroro's eyes had adjusted enough to make out the layout of the room, and it was not a store room like he had originally thought. It was a furnished living quarter, complete with desk, wardrobe, chair, overflowing bookcase, so on and so forth. The plush, queen-sized bed seemed to have a humanoid lump buried under a mess of blankets on the side closest to the window.

Another sound broke the stillness, a soft whimper that came from the buried lump. Playfully curious but cautious he unsheathed his Benz blade while creeping towards the bed. While a body would be counterproductive, it would be better to slit the throat of a sleeping servant who wouldn't be discovered until the next day instead of having them wake up and raise an alarm.

As he crested the bed Kuroro's playful grin turned into a frown. He sheathed his Benz and pulled out a penlight. Turning on the heavily diffused light he aimed it at the sleeping person, the light was barely strong enough to cut through shadows but it illuminated the prone body enough for him to recognize his chain-user.

His frown deepened as he moved the diffused light around the room, more out of habit than actual need, assessing the situation his prey found himself in. Moving the edge of the now-warmed and barely damp washrag covering Kurapika's eyes and forehead, Kuroro found that he was pale yet flushed from a high fever. He then noted the unused packet of bitter medicine and, as he studied the room, the suit thrown over a chair in a manner used to dry something out.

He clicked off his penlight and slowly put it away, the metal tube bending slightly as he tried to control his anger. It didn't take too much effort to figure out just what had happened and he was _not_ happy.

That stupid, selfish twit was going to break his toy before he had a chance to play.

He had chosen today to accomplish his goal knowing full well that the willful girl would want to spend the Nostrade family's dwindling fortune on the first day of the autumn festival. The amount of bags and boxes she would drag back to their mansion would turn any sneak-thief into an opportunist. While he fully intended on acquiring a few high-priced items while he was there, it was not his true goal, it just served as a nice diversion from it.

How tempting it was to just gather his prize up and steal him away; but Kuroro knew that the timing wasn't right. He would be able to take him now, no question about that, especially with the state his blond was in. The thing that kept him from doing such a thing was that he was not yet able to _keep_ him; and he had a feeling that his Kurta was going to provide him with plenty of entertainment so long as he could remain chained to his side.

However, he had no use for a broken toy; there was no helping it then. Shaking his head with a slight sigh he removed the cloth from his Kurapika and let it soak in the bowl of cool water that was placed haphazardly on the nightstand. As it soaked up cool water he ripped open the packet of bitter medicine and mixed it into the glass of water it had been propped against.

A part of him halfway wondered if his blond had not taken the medicine because he didn't like bitter medicine, if he just didn't like bitter things or if it was something more along the lines that he was allergic. Kuroro shook his head at that thought. His pet was smart enough to not entertain the thought of taking something he was allergic to, especially when his immune system was already compromised.

He let the medicine dissolve in the water and pulled the soaked cloth out of the bowl, wringing it out just enough to keep excess water from escaping. Oh so gently Kuroro replaced the cloth over his prey's eyes and forehead, taking care to not wake him up.

As he pulled his hand away from his blonde's face he let his fingers ghost a trail down his jawline. He froze as his Kurapika made another small whimper in the back of his throat and turned his head slightly. For a moment Kuroro was afraid he was waking up; but as he was deciding how to handle that situation and still be able to get what he wanted, his blond nuzzled against his gloved hand with a sigh-like exhalation.

Kuroro had to repress a chuckle as his prize's fevered subconscious caused him to seek out as much cooling comfort as possible. The leather gloves he wore fit so perfectly, like a true second skin, that he had forgotten he was wearing them; and they were still cool from the time he had spent outside waiting to break in. He let his blond nuzzle against him until he was certain his prey was once more fully asleep.

Once his Kurapika's breathing deepened and evened out he carefully moved so that he was sitting on his Kurta's pillows, his blond propped against his chest and one hand gently keeping the cloth over his Kurapika's eyes to prevent him from seeing anything in case he did happen to wake up. He dipped a finger of his free hand into the glass of bitter medicine then gently ran it along his pet's lower lip until his mouth opened, infantile instincts to suckle having been triggered. With a nod Kuroro removed his finger and retrieved the glass of medicine to hold against his pet's ready lips making sure to hold him and the glass of medicine at an angle so he would neither choke on nor waste any of the medicine.

Once the glass was drained Kuroro placed it back on the nightstand, doing his best to keep from laughing at the grimace-like scowl his Kurapika wore. Yes, his prize was going to be quite entertaining and he was looking forward to figuring out how best to push his buttons.

Working slowly and gently he laid his blond back against his pillows and tucked him in, making sure to smooth out the plethora of blankets that had been piled on top of the bed. If someone were to question his actions he would just pass it off as taking care of a precious treasure and refuse to acknowledge that there could even be a possibility of his tenderness being caused by something else. After all, broken relics are worthless and his Kurta was now a one-of-a-kind living relic; one that would soon be his.

While waiting for his pet's breathing to once more even out he pulled out another toy Shalnark had made a few years ago on one of his whims, or rather, to help with his secondary 'job' as an information broker. It was a small spy camera that was designed to look like a wolf spider, a household pest that was easily explainable no matter how secure a building or room was. The spider cam was equipped with a high resolution lens and could also record high quality sound as faint as a whisper; up to twelve at a time could be controlled via remote thanks to a program Kuroro had loaded on his laptop.

Kuroro turned it on and flicked his wrist, sending the spider cam into position in the shadowy crease where the wall met the ceiling just above his Kurapika's bed. His grin then turned wicked and he pulled out another spider cam while crossing the room. Suppressing the urge to laugh in delight at his luck he let himself into his blonde's attached bathroom and searched for a perfect spot for the spare cam.

He couldn't help but feel like Lady Luck was completely in love with him as he found that the steam vent in the ceiling allowed a complete overview of the bathroom; including the inside of the shower even if the curtain was drawn. As a Master Thief, Kuroro was an appreciator of beauty in all its forms, and from what he had been able to see so far, his Kurta was worthy of such appreciation.

His covered smile was wide and wicked as he all but danced his way through his pet's room; he had wanted to be able to observe his prize at his leisure but had not known if he would be able to find the right room. Yes, Lady Luck loved him, pampered the hell out of him when her whims favored him. But he also knew that she was a fickle Mistress and she would mostly likely bore of him if he loitered too long.

There was a particular freedom in just being Kuroro the Master Thief and not Danchou the Leader of the Genei Ryodan. He could indulge in his whims, quirks and fancies; completely revel in the thrill of the heist and not have to account for how it would affect any part of the Spider. If he wanted to rearrange every partially filled decanter of liquor, or at least the bottle's stoppers, he found in a victim's residence he could and not have to risk being thought of as a complete mental case from his Spiders.

Kuroro watched his sleeping Kurapika for a bit longer while he pressed his ear against the door leading to the hallway. Not hearing any movement he cautiously opened the door a crack and chanced a look. Unable to hear or see any type of guard or patrol he slipped out of the room and soundlessly closed the door behind him.

Orienting himself with a mental visual of the blueprints for the mansion he silently made his way towards the office area. The hallways were quiet and held several deep shadows that he could hide in if someone came past, though no one did. The walls held priceless works of art, both the beautiful and the grotesque; statuary and ancient vases on pedestals broke up the monotonous marble path. Unfortunately the majority of the art were well made forgeries; he knew because he either had the originals in storage at his primary residence or recently sold them to a black market dealer.

The heavy mahogany door that led to the office was locked, but provided no challenge for one such as he. Once inside Kuroro pulled out another spider cam and turned it on; this time he tossed it on top of the heavy bookcase that loomed behind an equally heavy desk. The entire atmosphere of the office was oppressive with all the thick furniture, drapes and carpeting; Kuroro wondered how anyone could be truly productive in such a place.

With a shrug he set about his task, there were certain things he needed to know and this was the most likely place to find it. It was ridiculously easy to find; apparently his pet's current employer had no imagination, foresight or sense of self-preservation. After all, only a complete idiot would leave such important papers in the file drawer of an old-fashioned desk with a flimsy lock that could break with just a tug. A part of him wondered what the head of the Nostrade family used his safe for; he would have to satisfy his curiosity when he was finished.

As Kuroro scoured through all of the 'secure' paperwork he wondered if his pet was aware how underpaid his services were. Repressing a chuckle he shook his head, his Kurapika didn't take the job for the pay; he was using the Nostrade family and their connections more than they were using his skills. Such a clever and manipulative pet he was acquiring; he was looking forward to an entertaining future.

Finding what he was looking for Kuroro memorized the details then put everything back where it had been, even taking time to relock the file drawer. If anyone was to suspect what he was truly after it would prove excessively difficult to act on his wishes. He did not want to figure out a new course of action when the one he had decided on would give him _everything_ he wanted with minimal effort.

His curiosity having been peaked earlier, he spun on his heel and sauntered over to the 'hidden' wall safe that seemed to come standard in mansions such as this one. Kuroro gave it a once over and noted that it had both an electronic combination pad as well as an old fashioned combination dial. First things first, he dug in his pockets and fished out a packet of something that was, well, dust. Granted it was a special type of dust that was attracted to the oils left behind from hands and fingers, much like the type that investigators used to dust for fingerprints in order to apprehend criminals who were careless enough to leave behind base evidence; but it was still, effectively, dust.

He deftly applied the packet of dust to both locks and frowned. It came back clean, too clean; none of the dust had stuck on either the pad or the dial. That usually meant one of two things; either the head of the Nostrade family was too stupid to realize he had a 'hidden' wall safe in his office or he had been advised to use it as bait for thieves. If it was the former, which would be a very special type of stupid, then it would be empty and if it was the latter then it would also be empty but would then trip a silent alarm that was, most likely, on its own circuitry and not covered by the device he was using to mask his presence. With his instincts all but screaming at him Kuroro stepped away; he was not afraid of danger or risky maneuvers but he knew when to cut his losses. Not that anything in the 'hidden' wall safe was a loss; it was just to satiate his curiosity after all.

From the records he had just gone through he knew that the head of the Nostrade family did not employ the typical army of mafia soldiers and guards, preferring to hire fewer but higher quality guards as well as Hunters. Almost half of his guards were Nen users, and about a third of them had been killed in Yorknew City courtesy of his Spiders. Kuroro did not mind either way, though this way he would only be in trouble if that woman who could hear heartbeats heard and recognized his, or if there was someone who was able to employ a very wide En area and sustain it. He doubted that the Nostrade family employed someone with such an En capability as security had not yet been alerted to his presence. It was also late enough into the evening hours that he felt confident that the woman with the excellent hearing was abed.

He listened through the door for any indication of guards and was mildly surprised to still hear nothing but silence. The head of the Nostrade family was either excessively confident or excessively stupid; yes it was a remote residence in the country and surrounded by mountainous woodland, but location does not deter thieves. His already low opinion of his pet's current employer was rapidly diminishing. Kuroro relocked the office door behind him and strolled down another hallway with a mischievous grin as he thought about some of the priceless treasures held within these walls.

Outwardly it looked as if he was just meandering aimlessly; more like he was browsing a department store than breaking and entering into the main residence of an influential mafia family, but his senses were hyper-aware, ever ready to meld into the shadows at a moment's notice. Hallway after hallway, room after room he toured the mansion; he felt no need to rush as he still had hours before the sun threatened to rise. Spider cams were left hidden in rooms where business transactions or other important matters would most likely be discussed. Small trinkets and pieces of art, and the occasional first or second edition books, found their way into his possession.

As he entered the wing where that prissy bitch resided he had to force himself to not enter her room. If he did, he would not be able to stop himself from doing something petty and vindictive to vent his frustrations at how she handled his prize. Cut her hair off, shred her clothes and break apart her favored treasures were some of the thoughts that crossed his mind; it was something a child would do and barely even nominally satisfying. While she would have some higher priced items in her quarters, she would also have at least one bodyguard, probably that female with the sensitive ears because of gender, and two or three female attendants.

Even though he was acting like he had all the time in the world, Kuroro knew that he was soon to fall out of his Mistress' favor; his luck had been too good for it to last much longer. Deciding to retreat from the spoiled teen's wing completely he studied the map of the mansion in his head, looking for the best exit point. If he was right, there was a music room on the second floor that held a balcony overlooking the garden that should provide an easy route into the mountainous forest surrounding the rear of the estate.

Unable to resist, Kuroro filched another rare first edition book before leaving the den he currently found himself in. As he turned to leave he accidentally kicked a round cushion that had found its way to the floor in front of a leather wingback chair by the window. At least he had thought that the white, faux furred thing was a cushion, except neither cushions nor pillows… wuf.

Kuroro actually felt his heart drop a bit as a small dog head popped up from the center area of the 'cushion'. It was official, his mistress, Lady Luck herself, had just kicked him to the curb. And not just in any way either, it had to be in the form of a white Maltese toy dog with its forelocks held out of its black eyes by a dainty pink bow.

The longhaired toy breed at first just eyeballed him with a wide yawn before uncurling itself almost lackadaisically. It then trotted over to sniff him, or at least his shoes. The dog then gave another soft wuf and scampered over to jump onto the swiveling desk chair that was partially pushed away from the desk. The dog then eyeballed him again and pawed at the panic button until it tripped.

Okay, that was definitely not something you see every day.

Kuroro bounded out of the den, shutting the door behind him which, thankfully, shut the now barking dog in the room. He ran as quickly as he could while remaining as quiet as possible, ready to duck into the nearest pocket of shadow at the first hint of someone else's presence. He almost made it to the music room when his instincts went into high gear and told him to duck into a side room and be still.

His instincts rarely being wrong he followed them without hesitation and found himself in something of a sun or sitting room. It was most likely furnished by a minimalist as the room held just enough furniture to accommodate about a half dozen people in order to hold small conversation and arranged in such a way that the room felt open and airy. The fact that it overlooked the garden in about the same area as the music room he was headed to in order for his escape meant that he was only a room or two away.

Kuroro frowned as he looked at the large glass windows that showed the garden below; he could easily exit from the room then and there, but his instincts were telling him to not move from the shadows near the now mostly-closed door of the sun room. He waited for a few more moments, but after hearing no indication of pursuit he was about to tell his instincts to shove it and jump out the window.

Then he heard it, a slow trudge of footsteps that were soft yet fell heavy in an unstable cadence, like the owner was drunk. Kuroro closed his eyes, reducing one sense to heighten the others in order to gauge the distance of the walker from his hiding spot.

His ears then made out a vibrating sound. The footsteps stopped and a groggy, "Hn?" echoed softly in the otherwise empty hall. Kuroro kept his eyes closed as he both listened to one side of a conversation and went over his available options for disabling or avoiding the person in the hall.

"…you're right, Senritsu, I have no business being up and around right now. However, between my unscheduled, and unapproved, absence after the Yorknew City auction fiasco and all but telling off Mr. Nostrade this afternoon I need to make at least a showing of responsibility. I cannot afford to have my position jeopardized because of a virus of all things."

The corners of Kuroro's mouth twitched upwards in an amused grin. He wished his spider cams had already been in place so he could watch the wildcat he wanted to tame telling off the head of a major mafia family.

"…what language? I did not realize that I had deviated from Common; though that would explain both his facial expression and the reason why I was not fired on the spot." Kuroro could almost hear the frown his sick pet gave at that revelation. "If my luck was propitious at that point, then I did not use my native tongue."

"…hmm? Everyone has boundless luck. One just needs to remember that luck, in and of itself, is inherently neither good nor bad; only better or worse than that of others involved in a similar situation."

His blond moved a few steps further down the hallway and closer to his position. Kuroro pulled out a syringe pre-filled with a bluish liquid. He hadn't thought that he would actually use this particular drug, but he was curious to how the pieces would fall afterwards. Since he was going to inject the serum into his pet he would leave the antidote as well; after all, he wanted his prize fully functioning when he claimed him.

"…my head feels like it is overstuffed with cotton and being used as a taiko drum at a Jappon New Year's festival. The estate tilting like a possessed carnival ride does not help either."

"…not yet, though I will take it once I am allowed to return to my room… I can ingest a lot of foul tasting things for the sake of staying healthy; that is an exception if I have a choice. Its taste is too close to a certain poison."

Well, that answered that question. And apparently his pet was so out of it that he had yet to realize that he had help with taking the bitter medicine earlier in the evening. It was better that way, at least for Kuroro, as it meant that his intrusion into his Kurta's room had not been discovered.

"…because Dalzollene, in his infinite paranoia, decided to make sure that both the regular alarm as well as the panic alarm were hardwired into the head bodyguard's room to ensure he would be alerted to danger at the first sign. As I inherited his room thanks to the field promotion in Yorknew City, I now get to deal with his quirks; though I _am_ a bit surprised that he did not have access to the monitors in his room."

Kuroro raised an eyebrow at that information. Apparently his pet had quite the busy year: Passed the Hunter's exam, turned 18, discovered _and_ mastered Nen, became a bodyguard to a mafia family with a body part collection hobby in order to find the missing eyes of his clansmen, killed off two Spiders, captured the leader of the Genei Ryodan, severed said leader's Nen and became the head of security for a major Mafia family. Kuroro would hate for his Kurapika's life to become anticlimactic after such an eventful year.

"…no, I do not believe that it is a glitch in the system or was accidentally triggered. Squala had trained his dogs to, above all else, obey one command in case he died… Yes. Protect Eliza. I believe that is why Mr. Nostrade allowed her to keep most of Squala's pay as well as take responsibility for the care of the dogs so long as she remained at Ms. Neon's side."

"…no, again I do not believe that it was tripped on accident. Squala made sure that all of the regular employees' scents had been imprinted on all of his dogs. The panic alarms are not sensitive enough to be triggered by just brushing against one of the buttons; also in the time we have been employed here none of the dogs have triggered the panic alarm."

His Kurapika was now almost in front of the door to the room he was hiding in but had stopped and was apparently leaning against the wall for support. Kuroro hoped that his pet would finish his conversation before he walked past, he would prefer to not alert the one at the other end to how close he was to his prey.

"…correct. If my luck remains better than the intruder's then hopefully I will not encounter them. Thanks to this fever I can barely stand on my own and control of my Nen is… haphazard at best.

"…hn. I am working my way to the control room; we need to figure out when and where the security breach happened. If Fernando is fine and hasn't had anything unusual come across his monitors then it all probably happened outside. We will need to check all electronic surveillance nodes starting with the perimeter and working towards the center of the estate; it wouldn't hurt to check both generators as well as the emergency sub-station as well for any hacking or overrides. Even if Fernando is not okay we will still need to find the initial breach that allowed them inside."

Kuroro shook his head, he should have known better than to hope to collect his security hacking device with his Kurapika involved. He may not be completely at his level for masterminding intricate plots, but he was able to keep a close shadowing at his heels.

"… Mr. Nostrade and Ms. Neon should already be moving to defensible safe rooms. I do not doubt that Mr. Nostrade would prefer to be at his daughter's side since he still hopes that her ability will return shortly. Once they are secure I would like for you to see if you can hear where the intruder is, if they have not already fled, and how many. I would ask that at least Basho accompany you as I would prefer to enter into any ensuing situation with the advantage heavily in our favor."

"… We cannot discount any possibilities though my suspicion is that it is the work of one highly talented and well prepared individual. I also feel that if they had wished to visit harm to anyone residing on the estate they would have already done so; though that may change since we have become alerted to their presence."

"… Yes, please inform the others of the general plan. I also trust your judgment for what to do once you have located the intruder or discerned that they are no longer on the property or able to be pursued. I will be in contact after I have checked out the situation in the control room."

Kuroro heard what he presumed to be his Kurapika's cell phone end the call to the one he had called Senritsu; which would most likely be the name of that diminutive woman with the exceptional hearing he was hoping to avoid. That meant he had some time to play before fleeing but not much. He heard his blond mutter "as soon as I can see straight," under his breath so Kuroro got ready to spring into action the moment it presented itself.

He didn't have to wait long before he heard his prey push himself away from the wall to continue his heavy trudge towards where he presumed the control room was, his path taking him past the unlatched door of the room Kuroro was hiding in. Perhaps his Mistress had not grown bored with him after all and just wanted to mix things up a bit.

He let his blond get two steps past the door before quietly swinging it wide enough to allow him to grab the small body from behind. His gloved hand covered his prey's mouth firmly while dragging him backwards into to room he had hidden in, his other hand quickly injecting the serum into his Kurapika's semi-exposed jugular. His prize had managed to let out a startled cry around his hand before the drug took away his ability to speak; though in Kuroro's mind it sounded more erotic than scared.

He was surprised at how light his captive was; he weighed less than he expected, but then again he has yet to see much of his actual body thanks to his modesty issues. Kuroro had already planned on not using the full amount in the syringe to let his pet's employer know what they were dealing with but adjusted the amount even further to account for the illness and slight mass. He wanted his prey functional in a fairly short amount of time and too much of the drug could cause the effects to be permanent; something he definitely did not want.

The drug had already started working before the needle was removed from his prey's neck and Kuroro let the syringe fall from his gloved hand haphazardly to the ground. He wanted it to be found and had already taken measures to make sure that it couldn't be traced back him, or anyone for that matter. With his Kurapika's muscles already stiff and unresponsive to anything except forced outside stimuli he moved the hand covering his blonde's mouth to around his waist, keeping a token restraint.

With his hands able to be freed he quietly shut the door then locked it, giving them some semblance of privacy. Kuroro then used one hand to force his pet's eyelids to shut; as he did he couldn't help but bury his nose into the golden locks and inhale his Kurapika's scent. It was almost non-existent, buried under the odor of the others sharing the estate but it was there; the wood of the trees, the earth, the rivers and the rain, even the wind sweetened by the flora sensually entwined in a wild freedom that could only be described as a deep and hidden part of the forest. It was maddeningly intoxicating.

Kuroro pulled the cloth covering the lower half of his face down with one hand while the other roughly grasped his pet's chin, forcing his head to turn and jaw to open enough to allow his mouth to be captured and plundered. Ruthlessly ravaging the captured mouth, his hand moved from his blonde's jaw to cup the back of his head, fingers entwining in and almost pulling his hair as he held their heads together. He would have loved to feel his prey respond to his tongue exploring his mouth but had a feeling that his Kurapika would be trying to bite off the offending appendage if he were able.

Never relinquishing his hold over his blonde's mouth, Kuroro moved them slowly until the lithe frame in his grasp was pinned between his body and the wall. His hands then caressed the contours of his captive's willowy frame until they reached his wrists, which he played with lightly before forcing them upwards until they were crossed above his head. His blonde's inability to move meant that his own body kept him in bondage without the need for outside restraints. He could feel his Kurta's heart beating wildly, like it had been replaced by a hummingbird trying desperately to flee from its prison of flesh and bone and his breathing was coming out in quick pants like he was hyperventilating.

The complete dominance he held over his pet had completely aroused him, a fact he let his captive know by grinding his clothed erection almost wantonly against his lower body. Kuroro felt his hands roaming of their own accord again until one rested at the back of his prey's neck helping to pull him closer still to delve deeper into his plundered mouth. The other slid down his backside to grope and knead the firm globe of flesh he found there, his knuckles grazed roughly against the wall but Kuroro didn't seem to even notice. One of his knees found its way between his blonde's legs, forcing them open to grant better access.

He wanted to irreparably claim the creature he held captive in such a way that he would be bound to him and him alone until the end of eternity. His desire was so great that it all but drowned out his instincts which were screaming at him to leave the estate before it was too late.

Reluctantly he let his grip slip away from his captive; but not before sucking his blonde's lower lip into his mouth and pulling it lightly with his teeth as he backed away. He placed his hands lightly on the top of his Kurta's shoulders and pushed him down, forcing his feet apart as needed until his Kurapika was sitting on the floor with his back pressed against the wall. Kuroro then knelt in front of his prey and arranged his legs so that his ankles were on the floor by his hips but in a way that one knee could be placed on top of the other in front of him. He then slide one of his blonde's hands down so that it rested on the floor by his foot, the other he left suspended above his head.

Kuroro made sure that the hand was palm up before placing the full vial containing the antidote to the drug he had injected his pet with earlier in it. Just to make sure the vial would stay safe from any accidents, he curled his Kurapika's fingers around it; he highly doubted they could get a replacement antidote if that vial broke. Not with it being so rare and difficult to come by; well, unless you knew the formula and had access to all the ingredients required for it.

He stepped back and took an appraising look at the creature that had caused him to lose control not once, but twice now. On the smaller side in stature for males but with long, slender limbs covered by pale, unblemished skin that could be called milky or akin to porcelain if one waxed poetic. Naturally long and thick lashes currently hid eyes that could turn the brightest, most vibrant shade of scarlet he had ever seen; and having been in the middle of the genocide of the Kurta village he had seen all variants of the infamous Living Rubies. But none seemed to dance like they had a raging fire behind them like his prey.

Kuroro had no idea what his Kurapika had worn for pajamas before letting go of wearing the clothing of his tribe; but currently he was wearing a set that had been inspired by the traditional fashions of the Azian continent. Loose fitting cotton trousers and jacket that were a deep hunter green in color with a dark gold piping along the edges of the jacket. Buttons the same color of the piping held together a mid-height collar and fastened the jacket down the left side of his torso instead of the more Western trend of buttons down the center. While it was typically on the embarrassing side to be caught in your night clothes, they fit him in a way that made him look refined.

Knowing he had to leave, Kuroro bent down and tenderly kissed his prey once more before turning his blonde's head so it was resting against the wall while at an angle that made him 'look' at the vial he held in his immobile fingertips. The movement made him irritable as his insistent hard-on was just getting annoying; he would most likely have to take care of it once he was far enough from the estate to discourage any pursuers.

Re-covering his lower face he opened the wide windows overlooking the gardens with a flourish, allowing the chill autumn breeze in. The sheer curtains billowed against him as he slipped outside not bothering to close the window behind him, leaving one intentionally obvious clue that the intruder had fled. Using his athletic ability he dropped from the second floor ledge into a tucked roll and came out of it on a run, melting into the forest.

On the other side of the estate Senritsu was doing her damnedest to keep her panic from showing. As Kurapika had predicted, Mr. Nostrade had wanted to be in the same place as his daughter but neither had wanted to leave their wing. Eventually Basho and Linssen had been able to persuade Mr. Nostrade to go to the panic room in Miss Neon's wing but he took his sweet time getting ready to be escorted. To those who didn't know her well her voice did not waver as she relayed Kurapika's orders, but Basho heard the slight tremor.

Once their two bosses had been secured with almost all of the remaining security reinforcing the panic room and surrounding area the three Hunter bodyguards started to move. Basho broke the silence first, "So, I take it that the kid, who was obviously sick after getting back from the Little Boss' shopping trip, even _before_ he started spewing gibberish at the Big Boss, ran into our intruder and is not having a good time."

Senritsu frowned slightly and hurried towards the control room where Kurapika had at least been going towards. "That does not seem to be an inaccurate guess. Shortly after receiving his instructions I could hear a spike in his heartbeat."

The brawny Japponese man frowned and unconsciously increased his pace, anxious for the kid who had gained a great amount of his respect in the past month and a half. "Please tell me it isn't as bad as it seems and that you heard that _after_ you started listening for the intruder's location."

The trio rounded the top of the stairwell and kept moving towards the control room. The diminutive woman stopped for a moment and closed her eyes, hands cupping her ears as she focused on listening for the intruder's heartbeat; she had yet to mention that it was one she had heard before. "I wish I could say that it was the case, but the good news is that his heartbeat is still strong. And it seems that the intruder is now outside the estate and fleeing in the direction of the mountains."

"Just the one intruder, eh?"

"I have been unable to hear any other heartbeats that do not belong, so I would have to agree with that conclusion."

"Great, now we just need to find the kid."

Senritsu nodded and started moving again but slower this time. Kurapika's heartbeat was so painful for her to listen to, even more so than when it was full of hate and rage. It was the same as the first heartbeat she had ever heard; her own from when she woke up after hearing the Sonata of Darkness with her deformed body and the twisted corpse of her dear friend lying next to her. It was the dreadful cadence of helpless terror.

The trio continued down the hallway and as they passed the sunroom next to the control room Senritsu stopped and placed a hand against the wall. Kurapika's heartbeat was just on the other side of the plaster and was beating so hard that she could almost feel it. For some reason her voice refused to work at any volume louder than a whisper as she stated, "He's in there."

Basho, the one closest to the door went to open it but found that it had been locked from the inside. "Well, that's just great." Before he could bash it down Senritsu placed a small hand on his arm and produced a key.

"It is a master key for when Miss Neon tries to lock everyone out during one of her temper tantrums. How sad that the head body guard for the family does not have one so the ones closest to…" she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying 'that spoiled brat' and risk her position, "Miss Neon could have the only copies."

Basho couldn't help but agree but did not feel like he could say so out loud. "Whatever the reason, it's a lot cheaper than getting docked pay to replace a door. Even if it is for a good reason."

The door opened easily and at least two of bodyguards let out their held breaths, glad that nothing had been broken off in the lock preventing entry. They rushed inside and found the room like Kuroro had wanted: the window wide open, the semi-filled syringe in plain view and Kurapika's crumpled form tucked against a wall almost out of sight.

Had Senritsu not been able to hear the frantic heartbeat she would have sworn that their young leader was either unconscious or dead as his frame was so still. Basho looked at her for reassurance and all she could say was, "If he is unconscious that is one hell of a nightmare he is experiencing."

Linssen had spent his time looking over the teen, noting his breathing patterns, heart rate and moved the hand held above Kurapika's head at an odd angle in front and off to the side to test a theory. He then picked up the syringe and tilted it one way then another, studying the liquid left inside. With a soft sigh the Azian man then used two fingers to swiftly press a certain nerve juncture in the blonde's neck.

Senritsu all but flung herself around from where she had been looking out the window trying to hear their intruder, her eyes wide with fear as Kurapika's heartbeat all but stilled. Linssen quietly explained, "Rendering him unconscious is the most humane thing we can do for him. Truly, it is the only thing we can do for him."

Linssen then gently rearranged Kurapika's limbs into a more comfortable position while he continued, "From the symptoms and what was left in the syringe I would surmise that he had been injected with a drug known in the Underworld as 'Doll Maker'. It has been dubbed that as it renders the victim immobile until the antidote is given; though if too much is injected then the effects are permanent. The only muscles or organs Kurapika is able to use right now are the ones that keep him alive; his heart, lungs and brain for example. In truth his breathing is still restricted as he is currently unable to expand his chest cavity any further than it is currently.

"The worst effect of the drug is actually the psychological trauma it causes. With the victim's body not responding to any self-assertive commands they are helpless to any outside force. They remain completely aware and the nerves continue to work so they can feel all sensations. Right now he can't even blink unless someone was to manually force his eyelids to move.

"Despite all that, he is lucky. Whoever the intruder was exhibited enough self-control to not give an overdose. Not only that," Linssen then gently removed the vial from Kurapika's hand and held it up, "they left the antidote. Our intruder obviously did not want to leave a permanent doll behind.

"A syringe like this filled with the Doll Maker serum can typically go for a couple million jenny; a similar syringe filled with the antidote can go for at least five to six times that in the Underworld Drug Market. For our intruder to be able to leave an entire vial of the antidote, they must be very well connected or can make it themselves. If they are a buyer then their supplier would consider them too valuable a customer and will not tell who purchased such an amount; and that would be presuming we could find a supplier who could deal in such quantities."

The Azian then stood up and moved towards the door, "I would recommend taking him to his bed. I doubt that Kurapika made it to the control room to check on Fernando so I will do so and then check with my contacts to see if there is an Underworld apothecary in the area that can deal the proper treatment with the provided antidote. The downside to using an Underworld source is that they are just as likely to take the vial of the antidote and never return. If that were to happen then Kurapika would be in such a state for the rest of his life; or at least until someone was willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money on another source of the antidote."

Linssen then gave a slight bow, "I will take my leave and check on Fernando. Though why a computerized watchdog program was given such a name I will never understand. I will leave informing our employer about the situation with the intruder, as well as the situation with Kurapika, to you two. When I have finished I will meet you in Kurapika's room."

Quietly Basho picked Kurapika up and carried him bridal style to his room, Senritsu took the lead to open the doors for him. He was unable to repress a small shudder at the unnaturalness of the situation and his companion gave him a quizzical look but didn't press any questions.

However, Basho decided that talking was a good distraction, "It's completely unnerving, you know. I can't feel him breathe, or his heart beat since he's out like a light. It really is like I'm carrying a life-sized doll and not a live human." Finding the current topic more depressing than he had anticipated he did a verbal about-face.

"So, did you find out what he said to Mr. Nostrade after getting back… I guess it was yesterday now? Or at least what language he used?"

Senritsu shook her head in amusement, "I inquired when I got his orders for dealing with the intruder. His response was that he had not realized he changed languages but that it did explain why he was still employed. He did not elaborate further."

Basho looked at the seemingly delicate figure he carried and laughed loudly. "No doubt about it, the kid has got a pair made of steel."

It didn't take them long to reach Kurapika's room and as Basho was putting the incapacitated teen in his bed Senritsu took a closer look at the nightstand and frowned. Kurapika had a tendency of not collecting or displaying any personal effects other than books, so finding the now-empty packet of medicine was easy to do.

The brawny man finished straightening out the blonde's limb in a way that did not make him feel like a pervert or molester and followed her gaze. "Isn't taking medicine when you're sick a good thing?"

She met his gaze, "Under normal circumstances I would agree; however, when I talked with him earlier he had not taken the medicine yet and showed such an aversion to taking bitter medicine willingly that I doubt it is something he would do while half-conscious and not remember."

Basho understood all too well what was left unsaid and looked around for any points of entry. Only seeing the window he stalked over to it just to find it shut, latched and otherwise secure. Mulling over any other possibilities he happened to glance down at the carpet just below the window and found an oddity. He knelt down and brushed the darker color and noted that it was mud that was almost dry.

Walking back towards the bed he mused, "Looks like I just found our 'guest's' entry point. They're good though, if it wasn't for the mud leftover from the snowstorm this morning I wouldn't have considered them gaining entry here." Any other comments died in his throat as he crested the form of Senritsu who was sitting next to Kurapika and had pried one of his eyes open.

Eyes he had gotten used to as black were showing a chestnut brown but laced with a vibrant, glowing scarlet. It reminded Basho of photos he had seen of a magma flow just after the crust started to cool but the seething magma could be seen through the cracks.

"Holy… mother of…"

Senritsu just looked at him sadly, "I feared that he would not have thought to put his contacts in before leaving his room, especially since he did not bother changing clothes. I do not know if he will approve of you knowing his secret and will not give a second thought about killing one or both of us if this becomes an obstacle to his goals. However, I do not feel that you will expose his secret"

Basho scratched the back of his head as he tried to absorb what just happened. "The kid's got nothing to worry about from me. Not many people earn the amount of respect that I have for him; especially not in the short amount of time I've known him.

"But that does explain why he always acted like someone shoved an untreated two by four up his ass without warning any time the Scarlet Eyes came up in conversation out of left field. Don't get me wrong, it's not visible unless you're next to him or looking for it; I always figured it was an aversion to dealing with eyeballs.

"Seriously though, to voluntarily sleep in a viper's pit… that's something else. I take back what I said about him having a steel pair. They're definitely at least titanium grade. Maybe even something more mythical like mithral, or adamantium."

Senritsu closed Kurapika's eyelid once more and Basho made to leave. "I'll go inform Mr. Nostrade that it's okay to come out of hiding. I'll be back after though, since Linssen said he would try to find someone who can deal with the kid's condition."

As he left Senritsu pulled out her flute and started to play. In theory it was to ease the unconscious heart of her friend, but in truth it was to calm herself as much, if not more so, than the sleeping Kurapika.


	6. Chapter 3 Interlude

**Interlude**

It had been almost two days since their lives had been interrupted by the unexpected intruder and things felt like they were en route for a serious train wreck. Senritsu leaned back in the oversized armchair that had been moved closer to the bed as she settled in for her nightly vigil over the still Kurapika and mused over that had happened.

Linssen's fear about the Underworld apothecary trying to run off with the vial of antidote would have come true had it not been for the three Nen-using bodyguards planted squarely in front of the exit in such a way that let the doctor know his life would be forfeit if he left. Mr. Nostrade had watched the non-verbal display quietly and seemed to be impressed with the loyalty his new, if inexperienced, head guard already commanded from his subordinates.

Eventually the Underworld doctor gave the news that thanks to the pneumonia that Kurapika had recently contracted he would be unable to administer the antidote until that was purged. That, of course, meant that Kurapika had to be kept in a medically forced state of coma and that would most likely slow his body's ability to get rid of the illness.

When Mr. Nostrade asked how Kurapika had managed to catch pneumonia it was Eliza, whom had slipped in the room to let Mr. Nostrade know that Neon was 'requesting' his presence, who mentioned that "It must have happened during the festival after Kurapika lent Miss Neon his jacket once we realized that the shawl she had decided to wear was not going to keep the weather out." She somehow managed to present a perfectly tactful and diplomatic reason that did not directly spew out how much of a self-absorbed and bratty bitch Neon was. The act also managed to come out as something chivalrous done willingly and not just to prevent a large scale hissy fit or other disaster in a public debacle.

The upside that the apothecary had, after realizing he would have to administer the treatment, was that whatever remained of the antidote would pay for his discretion as well as all of the expenses that Kurapika's treatment would incur. Including the IVs, sedatives and anything else a comatose patient required. It was a small miracle that everything had been set up without turning the room into a jumble of wires and machines.

The doctor had left earlier that afternoon with a mixture of news; starting with that the pneumonia had all but worked itself completely out of Kurapika's system. That meant that tomorrow morning they would be able to start introducing the antidote into his system. Then the apothecary threw a curveball; it would have to be done in very small intervals, several times a day.

The antidote, apparently, was just as bad as the Doll Maker serum. Too little antidote and there was a possibility of losing fine motor control along with random, uncontrollable, muscle spasms. Too much depended on the severity of the excess. From similar effects like the loss of fine motor controls, to the inability to have joints reliably function or respond, to becoming a para or quadriplegic, to even having muscles, organs and/or bones liquefy.

That wasn't even all; the sedatives he was being kept on distort the true effectiveness of the antidote, making it all but impossible to accurately judge the dose if he were to remain unconscious. Of course, _that_ translated into the fact that once the antidote started to show a positive response he would have to remain awake and cognitive of his situation _and_ be responsive, or at least as responsive as possible, during each dose administration.

Depending on how well his body handled the treatments it could take anywhere from several days to several months for Kurapika to recover. Mr. Nostrade had taken the news stoically but seemed to be a bit perturbed; he did not really want to find another new head guard when he no longer knew the guards. He had accepted Kurapika's field promotion not only because of his ability to calmly and rationally handle any situation he had been thrown into, but because the only bodyguard who had given any hesitation to his appointment as leader was Kurapika himself. A rare show of humility that would help keep him from being blinded by arrogance; at least that was the supposition he was going to go with.

At least for the time being, Mr. Nostrade decided to leave the position of head guard to Kurapika despite being incapacitated; if for no other reason than the fact that all of the guards who had worked directly, and even some that had worked semi-indirectly, with the teen seemed willing to continue to take his orders. The fact that Kurapika had been willing to accept the position without a pay increase also helped in his decision.

As Senritsu pondered over the fate of her friend the door to his room was flung open unceremoniously to reveal their young charge. Neon's hair was down and unkempt, like she had just woken up or at least given up on sleeping, and she was wearing a sheer silk slip of a nightgown that barely went past her hips who's bubblegum pink color was just a half-step up from being see-through.

She let herself into the room and stalked towards the bed but hesitated slightly once she finally noticed the small shape of Senritsu. Neon then let out a soft _hmph_ of disgust and moved to the side of the bed until she was looking at Kurapika's face. Long fingernails painted a bright teal to match her hair baubles that day traced the contour of his cheeks and jawbone almost thoughtfully.

"It's not fair," she murmured. "He's prettier than I am, isn't he. When he first joined I thought he was a girl, even when he came back wearing 'normal' clothes it was hard to see him as a guy."

Senritsu did not respond or make any sort of movement; partly because the statement felt rhetorical, partly because there was no tactful way to reply to such a comment if it wasn't, but mostly because of Neon's heartbeat. It was the same heartbeat she got when she decided she wanted something and she was going to get it come hell or high water and nothing would stop her. Considering that Neon had gone to an incapacitated man's room wearing basically nothing and had not expected anyone else to be in said room… the implication made her sick to her stomach.

Neon then turned and leaned against the bed, not bothering to look at the woman who was holding a quiet vigil. "He always seems so cold and indifferent, and he _always_ deflects any attempts of flirting… I can't tell if he's just not interested in me or if he swings the other way. And it's not like I see him looking, let alone leering, at anyone of _either_ gender so I can't tell his preference that way."

Senritsu remained silent and still; even if she had known Kurapika's preference, or lack of, she did not feel that it was any of Neon's business. She also had never seen him look at others except to assess their potential for good or ill. The only exceptions had been for the three who befriended him during the Hunter exam and they were all given purely familial affection. Though if she were to guess the sacrifices he made over his formative years to stay on task with his goals to avenge his clan and reclaim their eyes, repressing certain feelings that come out during puberty would probably be on the list; especially when he had tried so hard to keep from gaining any form of attachment. Whoever finds where he buried his baser instincts could very well drown if they open the floodgates carelessly.

Though that was not entirely accurate, either. There was one heartbeat that she had heard that had the potential for creating a symphonic masterpiece that most composers can only dream about producing. The first time she had heard it she claimed it was a horrible thing to hear, painful even, and it had not been a lie; not exactly. If she did not know the circumstances then the overall symphony between their two heartbeats was pure enchantment, dark and light sensually caressing the other, accenting each other's melody with a teasing sense of mystery and mischief. What was painful was that the heartbeat that held such a countermelody to Kurapika's own belonged to _him_; the one that caused so much pain and loss in his life.

Environments and situations can imprint themselves directly into a person's heart rhythm; this was why, when Kurapika was calm, especially if he happened to also be in nature, his heartbeat sounded like the rhythm of the forest. Even when his heart was filled with anger and worry over the Genei Ryodan capturing his friends his heart sounded more like a fox mother protecting her young kits from a predator. With so many years devoted to hunting down the ones who caused the genocide of his people, Senritsu wondered just how much of his inner melody had been influenced by _his_ rhythm before they ever met. After all, to paraphrase one of the greater philosophers and psychologists of the prior generation: when one stares into the abyss, the abyss stares right back, take care that you do not become the monster hidden in its depths.

Next to one another their heart rhythms had called out to each other in an exotic dance of melody and counter melody. Both vying for dominance yet playfully submissive at times, the harmonies created from where their melodies overlapped could stir the emotions of the even the most apathetic person. And that was without Kurapika's heartbeat being in its natural state.

The first time their rhythms had interacted Kurapika's heart was in complete chaos. The other's heart was joyful in its half-dead state; until the cacophonic dissonance the emotional distress Kurapika was trying to sort through resolved into pure rage. When Kurapika's rage fell apart, back into the myriad of emotions, the other's heart had changed slightly. A part of the other's heartbeat had actually followed Kurapika's, as if it was curious; almost like a predatory animal that had caught the scent of something tasty but was not quite sure if it was interested enough to pursue.

The second time they met Kurapika's heart was in a state of helpless terror; Senritsu doubted that he knew, or even suspected, that their intruder was the former leader of the Genei Ryodan. The other's heart had changed; while it still walked joyfully with death as a companion, it was no longer half-dead. Instead it had taken the quality of a predatory hunter stalking a rare prey, fully intent on both enjoying the hunt and consuming the morsel. It had also taken a possessive quality, though, in retrospect, possessive seemed like an understatement.

"I've been _sooo_ frustrated lately," Neon broke the silence again, though in truth it had probably been only a few moments since Senritsu had lost herself in contemplation. To her credit, she did not start visibly despite having somehow forgotten about Neon's presence.

"Not only have I been unable to use my Lovely Ghost Writer since… the _incident_, I've had a complete dry spell since _that guy_ got replaced." The youth sighed wistfully, "If only I hadn't been so startled at seeing a man cry openly, I would have 'thanked' that Lucifer guy by letting him stuff whatever hole he wanted until he was shooting blanks."

Senritsu finally broke her silence, "Lucifer?" It was the first time Neon had been willing to share anything about what happened to her during the Underground Auction and while Senritsu was not the most happy about the topic choice, they might finally learn the name of the former leader of the Genei Ryodan if their suspicions were correct.

Neon nodded dreamily, her hands moved to caress her breasts sensually through her nighty while she answered, "Kuroro Lucifer. The incredibly _hawt_ guy who helped me get inside the Cemetery Building for the auction. He bought me drinks because we got into the auction so early and while we were in the restaurant I did a fortunetelling for him.

"He seemed genuinely interested in my skill and asked a lot of questions. And then when he was reading his fortune for this month he started to quietly weep and didn't try to hide it. Apparently it said something that referred to death and he mentioned that he had a friend that just died.

"I had already planned on excusing myself to the restroom after the fortunetelling to take off my panties so I could slip them to him as an unspoken invitation; but I ended up just slapping some cold water on my face because his reaction was so unexpected. And hawt, I had no idea that seeing such a manly guy cry could be such a turn on."

Neon pouted wistfully as she continued her unwelcome monologue, "We left the restaurant so soon after I got back that I didn't even have another opportunity to try and seduce him there. It was shortly after that when I collapsed. I totally blew my chance at getting it on with one of the hottest men I have ever laid eyes on."

"Miss Neon," Senritsu interrupted gently hoping to both shut her up and get some _useful_ information. "This Kuroro Lucifer, can you describe him? I mean was he tall, what was his hair or eye color; did he have any distinguishable traits like a tattoo or unusual jewelry?"

Neon tilted her head in a gesture that looked like she was lost in thought but Senritsu could tell that she was really debating on her intentions for asking such a question. After a few moments she shrugged to herself and stretched her arms in front of her, staring at her outspread fingers with their perfect manicure. "Well, he was tall and built, though his suit concealed that fact unless you got close; he had black hair and eyes so dark they drew you in like they were going to devour you. Umm, his head was bandaged so I guess he was involved in an accident recently." She pressed her lower lip into her mouth with her thumb before chewing on it slightly.

"Oh yeah, he had things stuck to his ears. I can't call them earrings since it looked like he had stuck his earlobes in a pair of my hair accessories."

There was no doubt about it in her mind; Kuroro Lucifer was definitely the dethroned leader of the Genei Ryodan. However, Neon wasn't done yet, apparently. "He had this air of dark mystery and danger; so completely my type."

She looked back down at Kurapika, "Don't get me wrong, he's pretty and cute but I definitely prefer men to look like men, not girly boys. I mean, it doesn't even look like he has the strength to pick me up, let alone be an actual bodyguard that can kick ass and take names. Though out of the Leftovers I have available he's the best pick. Banjo's a good second, though he's obviously old and what is up with that… mustache? Or is it sideburns since it seems to be a combo deal. Lisbon's old and obviously a shifty coward. George looks great but his personality… he's more like a wild beast that would tear apart anything than appreciate an intimate encounter. The others aren't even worth mentioning."

Neon spun around and flung the covers off of Kurapika not caring about the IV he was hooked up to, a look of determination on her face. She glared at Senritsu while pulling the bottom of her nighty into a clutched hold between her breasts with one hand while the other grabbed at the front of Kurapika's sleep pants. All but snarling she stated, "I will get what I want and you will _not_ move against me. If you get out of that chair I will cry to Papa that you abuse me when it's just the two of us. You may be a bodyguard but he _will_ believe whatever I say over anything you can bring."

As Neon climbed onto the bed and straddled Kurapika's waist, not quite sitting down until what she wanted was exposed, Senritsu realized a couple of things. Neon was a conniving, manipulative bitch whom had a hidden intelligence she used only when it benefited her. The thick shag carpet did _not_ match the drapes; the unwanted image of which was going to be burned in her brain forever. And she was not going to remain passive while her friend was unable to defend himself.

Pulling her flute out in a smooth motion she had the metal mouthpiece pressed against her lips and was playing a lullaby before Neon could claw open the knot of Kurapika's sleep pants, focusing her aura solely on the desperate teen.

For as willful as she is, Neon submitted to the lullaby after only a few notes, slipping away from Kurapika's body to curl up on the unused portion of the bed. Senritsu continued to play until she was certain that Neon would not wake up again until late morning.

With a sigh she put her instrument away and contemplated her next move. She did not have the physical strength or stature to carry Neon back to her room and it was late enough that the other guards that she trusted to keep quiet about this were asleep.

Right about then a frazzled Eliza slid into the room, panic clearly showing in her eyes. She saw the state of the bed and the occupants on it and panic turned into horror. In her soft voice she queried, "Please tell me she wasn't able to do anything."

When Senritsu shook her head Eliza heaved a sigh of relief. "I should have realized what she was up to sooner. Had she been able to do what she wanted I am sure that he would never be able to forgive me for preventing her actions."

Senritsu shook her head again, hoping to calm the frazzled caretaker. "I am sure that neither he, nor anyone else, would ever honestly blame you for whatever Neon decides to do." She then gave Eliza a small, comforting smile before continuing. "I do not think that this incident is something that needs to be brought to his attention. Especially since, in the end, nothing happened. Mmm?

"However, I am at a loss as how to get her back to her room now. Do you have any suggestions?"

Eliza gave a small nod and moved over to her mistress, a dress robe in hand. As she manipulated the slumbering girl into the robe she quietly confessed, "I can carry her back, this would not be the first time I have had to do this. And being able to forcibly restrain her if I need to is part of the job description."

"Do you require any assistance?"

Eliza shook her head politely. "Thank you but it is not necessary. Besides, I get the feeling you were here for a good reason. I shall try to be more vigilant to ward off another incident like this from occurring." With a small bow she gathered up the slumbering Neon and gracefully headed back to her room.

In a comfortable room a couple of towns away, obsidian eyes glinted with barely repressed fury as they watched the fiasco through remote eyes. Had he an ounce less of self-control he would have been on his way to remove that selfish thing from the world with his own two hands in a slow and painful way; stolen skill be damned. It wasn't that great of a skill that he _had_ to keep its original owner alive for as long as possible.

The only thought that was able to keep Kuroro in his chair and watching his pet sleep was that soon he would be able to collect his prize. And his pet would not be able to escape him.


	7. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

By the sixteenth Kurapika was fully aware of what was going on but unable to move anything of his own accord.

By the eighteenth he officially hated September.

By the time the apothecary left after his noon-time visit on the twenty-third he had finally been removed from all machines and given the go-ahead to resume limited activities; however, he was still confined to the space of his room and attached bathroom. The underworld apothecary had also reduced his visits to two times a day as the treatment seemed to be nearing its completion, so more time was needed between doses to more accurately assess the effectiveness.

During the period where he was unable to move freely he had done his best to keep his mind occupied. He read whatever books were left in his reach, he returned to the 'desk job' portion of his position once a laptop was left for him and several of the other guards, and once or twice even Mr. Nostrade, stopped in for a round or two of chess even though he was unable to talk to them. Senritsu and Basho could often be found in his room, though rarely at the same time, and would freely fill in the silence with random topics as if they understood just how much Kurapika did not want to spend time thinking about the events that happened to leave him in such a state.

As far as he was aware, Neon had neither concerned herself with his condition nor lowered herself to visit him, a small favor that he was thankful for. He was unsure if it was her choice or if she was being kept out and, honestly, did not care; he did not think he was capable of dealing with her selfish attitude. Of course, because none of the three women who knew what she had done during his forced slumber even acknowledged the incident, Kurapika remained blissfully ignorant of what had almost been done to him.

Oh, Kurapika had noticed that Senritsu tensed up with anger whenever Neon got mentioned; however he thought it was just due to her usual tantrums. And the diminutive woman felt no compulsion to add more stress to his recovery.

Senritsu had waited in the hallway while the doctor explained to both Kurapika and Mr. Nostrade what was and still was not allowed for him to do. Apparently he was still confined to his room mostly in case his joints either froze up or turned to mush unexpectedly. Limiting the area where such a thing could happen as well as making sure someone checked on him every hour or three ensured that treatment could be done in a timely fashion.

She gave a small nod to Mr. Nostrade and the doctor as they left Kurapika's room then let herself in. With a small smile to show that she was pleased to hear that he seemed to be close to being back at peak condition she sat down in the oversized chair she had spent her vigil in. "So," she spoke quietly, "any special plans now that you have been allowed to get out of bed?"

Kurapika looked at her for a moment like she had lost her mind then closed his chestnut colored eyes and tried to calm his irritation down. After all, she had done nothing to cause his situation and did not deserve to be lashed out against for asking a simple question. She could tell that he was just frustrated and did not take his ire personally; had she been in his position she too would have a short fuse.

His tongue and vocal chords had been the last to be affected by the antidote, so he still had to concentrate on his annunciation lest he sounded like he had suffered from a stroke that took away his speech functions. Though, he at least no longer sounded like he had the vocabulary of a rock when he tried to speak. "After a bit I fully intend on brushing my teeth and taking a long, hot shower; I feel absolutely dis_gusting_. And then, after dressing in something that is _not_ sleepwear, I fully plan on eating solid food for once. I do not care what it is so long as it cannot be served in a cup."

Senritsu cocked her head to the side slightly, "After a bit? What do you intend to do before that?"

Kurapika sighed softly and pinched the bridge of his nose as if trying to keep a headache from forming. "There are a few things concerning me; I had wanted to be able to speak normally before bringing this up, so now is as good of a time as any. In fact we have probably pissed more than enough time away waiting for me to 'get better'.

"I have gone through all the submitted reports about the break-in and I will agree that it was the work of a well-connected professional that, at least at the time, did not have ready access to Nen. The device left in the sub-generator was also fairly sophisticated and laced with Nen for electrical manipulation. Add to it both the drug and the antidote I get to deal with now… no amateur would have access to such items, let alone be able to afford them. They might be able to make one of the items, not both, and yes I am counting the drug and the antidote as one item not two. Not without an accomplice."

Kurapika then gave her a knowing look, "And then there is what you _didn't_ include in your report…

"Am I incorrect in presuming that you were familiar with our intruder's heartbeat and revealing such information in a tangible manner would cause too many headaches trying to explain circumstances?"

His tone spoke volumes to Senritsu, all but saying that he knew that she knew the identity of their intruder. It also said that he trusted her judgment about the omission unless she refused to unofficially share the identity. She was curious to see how quickly her young friend could put the name with the right person; so she spoke it quietly. "Kuroro Lucifer."

She did not expect for him to take long to connect an unknown name to a thief whose name had not been given and she was not disappointed. Before his brow could fully furrow in thought his eyes opened wide in surprise, "Him…"

Senritsu did not need to ask which 'him' he was referring to; she had heard his heart jump in anger, anxiety, a bit of relief and, hidden under all of that, the thrumming chord of longing. She resisted the urge to sigh as she was forced to admit that the two's hearts had indeed recognized and acknowledged each other.

Their hearts would now, until forever, seek out the other's heart melody, even at the expense of ignoring all others. Right about now their 'relationship' was similar to a naughty elementary school boy putting paint in a shy girl's hair; because even bad attention is still attention. They were not ready to listen to their heart rhythms and admit that they actually like each other. Then again, love and hate _are_ two sides of the same coin…

What she had not anticipated was for slender fingertips to grace partially opened lips as if in shock while remembering something. Even less expected was for him to murmur, "That bastard stole my first kiss," so softly that she did not think he even realized that he had verbalized the thought. Granted, the only reason she heard it was because of her overly sensitive ears, but she still heard it loud and clear.

His reaction was just too damn cute.

Senritsu did not notice the amused half-laugh that escaped at his admonishment until one of the pillows the blond had been resting against landed in her face. "Stop laughing, it's not funny!"

She _might_ have been able to take him seriously had his voice not cracked and his face not been flushed a delicate pink from embarrassment. The absurdity of the moment was just too much and it was all she could do to not double over in a fit of the giggles.

The fact that he turned his head to the side with a huff and seemed to unconsciously pout when she didn't stop did not help her self-control.

That, of course, earned her a second pillow to the face.

He moved pretty quick for a person with semi-frozen joints. Then again, she had 'witnessed' him beaning Leorio in the face with a pillow from across the room while in that fevered state of unconsciousness after he collapsed from burn-out. Apparently even asleep he took offense to Leorio suggesting that he give him a sponge bath; even if it was for the right reasons.

As much as she wanted to tease him, she let it slide when the teen abruptly changed subjects. Still not looking at her he mused softly, "If it was _him_, then what was he _here_ for? The things listed as missing aren't things that would bring _him_ here; if I had to guess they were taken as a distraction from his real goal."

He folded his arms across his chest and the corners of his mouth turned down as he mentally went over possible scenarios. "It might be too late to do this, but we should double check all the rooms that were left locked. If he was careful enough to lay down a false trail, he was probably careful enough to leave what he was really after as undisturbed as possible. He might have been after something like records, documents, lists of assets maybe?

"We should probably also sweep for surveillance bugs. If we do not have any way to do that on hand, which is still quite possible despite Dalzollene's paranoia, then first contact should probably go to the person who created and maintains Fernando. If Marissa doesn't have anything for that then she should at least be able to point us in the right direction."

Kurapika then looked up at her once again, arms still folded across his chest, "There is something else that was left out of both you and Basho's reports. The reports from everyone else indicated that no point of entry had been found. However, neither yours nor Basho's reports indicated that one had been found; then again, neither did they say that one had _not_ been found.

"Is it something that you suspect and are unable to confirm, or is it located in a place that is better to not mention?"

Unwilling to answer verbally she turned in her seat and just looked at the window at the far end of his room. He followed her gaze and then gave a start when he realized what she meant, "Why…"

Senritsu shook her head slightly, "We were tipped off by the fact that the bitter medicine you so adamantly refused to take was gone; the empty packet was next to an empty glass on your nightstand. Basho checked and found some almost dried mud just under the windowsill."

She watched as his countenance and heartbeat softened the further he got lost in thought. Not really wanting to break his reverie but knowing that their conversation was not over she continued, "Do you think he planned to enter through your room?"

The blond shook his head, "No, it makes more sense that it was a so-called 'happy accident'. While we have no idea how long he was here, I doubt that it was quick. When he… pushed me against the wall he still smelled of frost, so he had to have been outside for a while. He seems to be a consistently patient man as well, so I would not be surprised to find out that he spent several hours just watching the estate for an entrance point that seemed to be abandoned.

"Since I retired before sunset that day due to the pneumonia, this room was probably one of the only ones that showed no sign of being used. He may have thought it was a store room or an unused guest suite that just happened to be on the opposite side of the dog kennels."

Kurapika then turned to look at his small friend, "Did anyone happen to check on me after I retired for the evening?"

Senritsu shook her head, "No, Neon was throwing a massive tantrum about not being able to find something purchased at the festival." She shook her head in anger, "Turns out it was a piece of jewelry that she had put back after going on about how it was pretty but 'not something a lady should get for herself'. Apparently it was a _subtle_ way for demanding the male in the group to buy it for her as a present to show their admiration of her beauty and she automatically believed it had been bought and slipped into the rest of her purchases when her back was turned."

The blond made a face of disgust. "Why in the fuck should I be compelled to waste my meager salary rewarding horrid behavior?

"I have no idea how you and Basho managed to keep your both your calm _and_ your sanity while escorting her around Yorknew City. And Eliza has to be something close to a saint to be able to put up with it on a daily basis. Though if she were able to stop Neon from doing even _half_ the shit she does, she would be more akin to a god."

He then looked down at his hands like they were the most interesting thing in the universe. "So then it must have been him." Shaking his head almost imperceptively he mumbled, "I just don't get it, I cannot figure out his purpose.

"If he wanted me dead, he could have done so without anyone knowing until someone came to check on my condition the day after. If he wanted to torture me, I was in no position to fight being taken from here. If he wanted to humiliate me, he could have either used the entirety of the Doll Maker serum or not left the antidote. There are not many things more humiliating than to become a living dress-up doll with no way of enforcing your own will, especially on your own body.

"Or am I being self-conceited and I am not the underlying reason he is here. Truthfully though, my instincts are telling me that if I was not here he would have no business with the Nostrade Family."

Sensing that letting the teen continue this train of thought would send him into a depressive cycle she decided a bit of teasing was in order. Well, that and she was not done poking fun at her normally stoic friend. "So, you had your first kiss stolen _and_ was pushed against the wall." A wicked grin tugged the edges of her mouth, "At the same time? Hmm?"

Kurapika's blush and inability to look her in the eyes answered her question. The third soft pillow connecting to her forehead was also pretty telling, but she wasn't done. Needling him in such a way felt too much like an older sister teasing a sibling over their first crush, it felt _good_. And she was going to enjoy the moment. "So our Kurapika's first kiss was not only stolen, but stolen in quite a _torrid_ fashion as well, hmm?"

By this time Kurapika's eyes were wide in embarrassment and he could feel the heat coming off his face as the blush deepened. The amused lilt to the small woman's voice clearly indicated that she was enjoying watching him squirm with discomfort. "Was he _excited_ to greet you so?"

Kurapika wanted to crawl under a rock and die.

He prayed with every fiber in his being that she would not ask how it affected him; he was not sure how she would take hearing in his heartbeat that he had enjoyed it. He could barely believe it himself. Oh, he had been held down in similar circumstances before and had always, _always_ broken out of the grip of his aggressors; that was the first time he had _ever_ felt any desire to submit after a token resistance.

For her part she had noticed a rise in anxiety in his heartbeat; such was usually a precursor to a panic attack and she did not want to cause something like that. No matter how much fun it was to embarrass the shit out of the blond. She gave a cheeky smile and slid out of the chair, "I think that is enough teasing for one setting. Besides, I am sure you want to finish your plans before it is time to get ready for bed once more."

As she headed for the door a fourth pillow thwacked the back of her head. Laughing she let herself out, leaving a flustered Kurapika to his own devices.

A very flustered Kurapika who was doing his damnedest to not think about being so forcibly kissed, the faint bitter taste of coffee, the feel of large hands wandering possessively over his body, the way his body molded neatly into the other's as he was pressed firmly against the wall, the thick and throbbing piece of meaty heat grinding into his inner hip while screaming for acknowledgement… the intense feeling of loss as he pulled away… the tender kiss goodbye…

It took him several minutes to gather a clean set of clothes and get settled into his attached bathroom. His first order of business was to brush his teeth.

Twice.

Just because he could.

After turning on the shower to let the water warm up, he set to divulge himself of his sleepwear for the first time in what felt like forever. Disposing the currently-hated items in the hamper before slipping into the steaming water, Kurapika let his mind wander.

A lot of things about the encounter with their intruder had gone strangely for him. To start, when he got pulled backwards into the room, a dark part of him had hoped that it had been the one now known as Kuroro Lucifer. When his mouth had been forced open and plundered, his mind's eye associated the invading tongue to belong to the variant of Kuroro that he had seen at the Yorknew City auction; sans blood. At that point he had wanted to curl his fingers in that dark hair and pull him closer, letting their tongues fight for dominance while his body freely submitted to those cold, leather-covered hands that roamed his body.

When Kuroro's arousal pressed against his sex, there had to be no doubt in his mind that he truly was a man. That dark part of him that wanted the instigator of the encounter to be the former head of the Genei Ryodan was overjoyed when the taller man not only acknowledged his gender but demanded more as his humping increased in intensity.

When needy lips left his to trace the contour of his jaw and down the side of his neck to rest at the junction where his shoulder and neck met, that dark part desired for Kuroro to bite to break skin. The naked want, the blatant _need_ to be marked, to be claimed as a mate by the man whom had made him an orphan… scared him.

His body had woken to desire despite his best efforts to the contrary; his body wanted someone dangerous while his mind contested his body's choice fervently. He knew that such a man had no regard for life, nor did he have a use for affections and could quite easily change lovers as often as he changed clothes. However, his body persisted and refused to stop wanting to pin Kuroro down until he retaliated and he was overpowered and claimed.

Mind and body waged an internal war with his inner peace and sanity as the battlefield.

While his thoughts continued in such a way, his body went through the motions of thoroughly cleaning himself without any prompting. However, when rinsing off the second round of lather from his body, his hand pressed harder than normal against a sensitive part of his body. His body, still at war with his mind, remembered how the leather-clad hand had caressed that very spot and how good it had felt.

A lusty moan escaped the back of his throat, bringing his self-awareness back to the present. Realizing how aroused he had become, especially from just a memory, his heart sunk. Refusing to let his body win without a struggle, he quickly flipped the water to the coldest setting before placing both hands on the wall in front of him.

As the steaming water turned to ice he raised his face to the spray. Scarlet eyes looked up at the ceiling as if it held the answer he sought, "Damn you Kuroro Lucifer. Just what have you done to me?" He let his eyes roll backwards before his eyelids fluttered closed as he turned his attention to mastering his self-control once more.

For his part, Kuroro had no idea just what he had done, but whatever it was, he was damn glad he had. In fact, as he watched water running in rivulets over the lithe frame of his prize, he wanted to know what it was so he could do it again.

He had come out of his own shower just in time to hear the small woman asking his pet what his immediate plans were. Once he heard that he was finally going to see the fully naked form of his Kurapika, he had decided to abstain from wearing anything more than the towel he had used to dry himself off with. After all, unlike his pet, he was of the mind that sating carnal desires helped to clear one's mind and regain focus once the distraction had been taken care of. There were a few exceptions to that rule of thumb, but generally for when one was in combat or in some form of pursuit.

So he had watched the exchange between his pet and the woman while lounging on the towel thrown over the bed of his hotel room, unashamed in his nudity. Kuroro had been pleasantly surprised to learn that he had stolen his blonde's first kiss; that fact went straight to his groin even more than the knowledge of the upcoming shower. At that moment he vowed to steal every possible 'first' his pet could experience; especially sexually. And if his Kurapika had refrained from even kissing to this point, there were so many 'firsts' that could be stolen.

His patience was rewarded when he finally got to switch focus to the camera hidden in his pet's bathroom. While it had been a windfall that he was able to place one in such a location where he was able to see most of the room, it was not a perfect angle and some details were going to be missed. Over the week it had taken his pet to recover to this point, he had adjusted all of the spider cams to their best location.

With his Kurapika's joints still semi-stiff, the removal of his clothes had acted like a sensual, if unintended, strip-tease. His exposed body was thin and narrow but, to Kuroro's delight, a healthy weight. A thin layer of supple muscles covered the small frame doing nothing to discount his almost waifish appearance; one that could easily be underestimated, which he thought suited his pet just fine. It was not a body built to be a powerhouse, but rather for speed and agility.

Kuroro was not fooled by the seeming lack of strength such a body presented. His blond had gone toe to toe with Uvo, the strongest of his Spiders, and won. Uvo would not have gone down without bringing out his full strength and his Kurta had come out of their fight with no visible wounds.

In fact, it looked like there were no visible scars or blemishes whatsoever on his blonde's milky skin. Though, to his surprise, there did seem to be some form of a tattoo located on the middle of his back, just below his shoulder blades. Kuroro was unable to see what the image was, but it did not look like a typical design. If he had to guess, it would have to do with his tribe; and most likely done before he left. It did not look like it was recent, and most tattoo parlors refuse to perform their trade on minors without a legal guardian present.

While his pet showered, he languidly enjoyed the show as water and lather slid tantalizingly over every curve of his blonde's body. His hands slid over his growing arousal as his mind wandered through various fantasies involving the stealing of his Kurapika's firsts.

As fantasies played out in his mind one hand tugged and teased his throbbing length while the other altered from helping to spread the pre that bubbled from his tip to playing with his balls. Every time he got close to release he would back off, making the experience last as long as possible; at the very least until his Kurapika's shower was over. He was snapped out of one particular fantasy that involved feeling the bones of his pet's throat washboarding over his erection while his blonde's chin and nose bounced against his groin due to a low, lusty groan coming through the spider cam.

Kuroro focused on the monitor just in time to see scarlet eyes looking straight into the hidden camera. The color alone, a dusky, smoldering crimson, was almost enough to make him cum hard. When his pet growled out his name with those eyes, he was all but done for.

While his Kurta tried to force his body into compliance through sheer willpower alone, Kuroro wrapped both of his hands around his straining cock, squeezing it tightly. The copious amount of pre that had leaked out coated his hands and erection helping to ease the friction; but he continued to squeeze his hands almost too painfully tight as he pumped his sex through his self-made constriction. He suspected that his pet was a true virgin; but even if he wasn't, he had felt how narrow his blonde's hips were when he had pressed against him during his break-in. They were narrow enough that no matter how many times he was taken, he would always be sinfully tight.

Kuroro's hips rose off of the bed as they bucked in wild abandon while the fantasy of taking his pet's virginity overcame his senses. The anticipated feeling of his erection sluicing through his Kurapika's tight, velvety tunnel from tip to hilt at such a frantic pace was maddening and all too soon the release he had been denying himself spilled over as healthy spurts of his hot seed coated his body.

In his mind's eye he watched as he pulled out of his pet's perky, softly rounded ass and his seed leaked out, snaking proudly down his blonde's thighs. He placed a sticky digit in his mouth and absently sucked off the evidence of his salty excretion.

Kuroro could not get those eyes out of his head. If that intoxicating color was the shade of desire, he wanted, no, he _needed_ to see what color his pet's eyes turned when pushed over the edge of carnal pleasure. Even more than claiming his blonde's 'firsts', he claimed sole ownership of those eyes; and anyone other than himself who saw that dusky crimson would die. Painfully. That was one jewel he was _never_ going to share.

Libido finally sated he returned his gaze to the monitors only to find that at some point during his post-orgasm musings his pet had gotten dressed and settled into a wingback chair to continue reading his current book. Deciding that he had spent too much time lost in his fantasies he got up from his bed. Proudly wearing nothing but his own spunk and a wicked grin, Kuroro strutted back to his bathroom for another shower.

He only needed two, maybe three moves before he could capture his queen. And then he and his pet would start a new game.

It was two days later when news about the annihilation of Zenji's Family filtered through the wire.

When Senritsu first heard the news she remembered what Kurapika had said about what had happened between them after the underground auction in Yorknew City. Concerned for her young friend she sought him out, only to find him sitting behind the small table in the sunroom where he had encountered Kuroro Lucifer several days prior.

His arms were propped up on the table by his elbows, fingers laced and folded in front of and against his mouth. His heartbeat was completely calm, almost contemplative as he viewed whatever information he had pulled up on the monitor of his laptop.

Sharp eyes once more hidden behind black contacts glanced her way as she entered the room. With a subtle tilt of his head he motioned her closer.

As she approached she voiced her surprise at his choice of location, "If you do not mind me asking; why here?"

He arched an eyebrow at her question for a moment then sighed out a noncommittal sound. "Because I am not yet allowed outside and it is driving me crazy. This room provides the best... substitution."

Seeing her disbelief he sighed softly and leaned back in his chair, arms folding across his chest. "You have to remember that I was born and raised in a forest. This is probably the longest I have _ever_ gone without spending time in either a garden, park or, preferably, forest or wooded area. Being so completely severed from nature is, for me, unbalancing and rather unnerving."

He tilted his head slightly as he continued to study her, "Though I doubt you sought me out just to discuss my choice of location. It was more to do with the most recent mafia Family to meet its demise, no?"

She nodded, "You do not think that it has to do with what happened after the auction, do you?"

Kurapika gave another noncommittal sound from the back of his throat as he leaned forward once more until he resumed the position he had been in when she entered the room. "It is possible. Though it is equally possible, if not more so, that it has nothing to do with that. I take it that you either have not heard, or do not agree with the official findings of the incident."

He turned the laptop he was using so Senritsu could see what he had been looking at. "This is the only footage that was salvaged; all other security cameras were disabled before this was filmed." With that, Kurapika started the short clip that showed a made-man, one who would live and die for the 'honor' of his Family, suddenly turning his weapon on his colleagues before the video turned to snow.

"According to the records of the incident, this turncoat acted on his own. He was also Zenji's most trusted confidant and second in command. Apparently it was decided that the two had a disagreement and Mr. Johansen turned homicidal; killing everyone on and about the estate before torturing Zenji to death. He then, in turn, committed suicide.

"Now, watch it again. This time, however, watch using Gyo."

Doing as she was told she noticed a concentration of aura on the back of the man's neck; said aura was then twinned around his body. "He's being Manipulated!"

"That is my conclusion as well." The blond then closed the video, revealing some documents. "There is more that suggests the official finding is a load of horseshit. According to the coroner's autopsy findings, Mr. Johansen's approximate time of death is listed as three days _prior_ to Zenji's.

"Zenji's autopsy also indicates that he was brutally tortured until the day he died. Whomever did this was definitely a professional; not just for their efficiency and thoroughness, but to give so much trauma to a person without killing them for days."

Senritsu found herself shuddering, not just because of the gruesome details, but because through the entire conversation Kurapika's heartbeat had remained calm and cold. "Don't tell me you're in awe of their work," she said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

To her relief Kurapika shook his head and no sign of deceit laid in his heartbeat, "Definitely not. If anything, it is highly disturbing.

"Because the mafia and the police have something of an 'understanding', the police have officially closed the case as one of mass-murder/suicide despite the blatant evidence that points to something deeper. They have left any additional investigation, and therefore punishment, to the mafia community. However, with the death of all of the Dons, the hierarchy is in utter chaos.

"Brazen power-plays have always been discouraged and any who sought to gain influence from one were shunned by the Society as a whole. Even now such a policy is in place; however, with the power vacuum left by the deaths of the Dons such gambits should be expected. Zenji was accredited to be one of the most powerful and influential leaders under the Dons; his death presents those who can see the correct threads to grasp a unique opportunity to increase their own influence.

"Whether or not his death was orchestrated as a subtle power-play does not discount the obtainable domain now up for grabs. Anyone, even a newcomer to the mafia, could become a force to be reckoned with in a short amount of time."

Still perfectly calm and collected, Kurapika turned to more fully focus on his friend and co-worker. "With what has become available, between all of the power vacuums and ensuing chaos, I could do it if I wanted. I could easily grasp the means to become a Boss in my own right, and one in position to inherit the title of Don."

He continued to study her and her reaction in perfect silence. She felt that her anxiety and worry were plainly written on her face and eventually he continued in a blasé manor, "Too bad that it is not a position I want. After all, I do not have the patience to posture, preen and present myself amongst so-called peers while keeping an eye out for a knife in the shadows." When he finished he had a faint, knowing smirk gracing the corners of his lips.

Realizing that she had been played, Senritsu smacked his shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt, but harder than what could be called playful.

Laughing silently the teen's mouth quirked further in an impish grin, "It is nice to know that, even though you can hear a lie when it is told, you can still be pranked."

She scowled in mock anger, "You are completely incorrigible."

Kurapika just gave a happy hum then turned his attention back to the laptop in front of him. Small smile fading he quietly said, "It's true though. I can see at least one path to become a Boss with enough influence to jockey for the title of Don."

He glanced back at Senritsu in time to see a pensive face, "You do not have to worry. Like I said before, it is not a position that I personally want. Not only would it conflict with my service contract with Mr. Nostrade, I have no interest in being a true member of the mafia. And then there is the point that such a position would be more of a hindrance to the finding and obtaining of my personal goal.

"However, I could guide Mr. Nostrade along that path; though probably not as far as being able to vie for the title of Don. Done correctly he could reestablish his influence and in such a way that it cannot be disputed, unlike the stature gained through Miss Neon's fortunetelling ability. Such influence would also open more doors for the acquisition of both of our goals.

"By providing him with the means to improve his status in the midst of such a power struggle, he will come to rely on me almost completely. He would have absolute faith in, and reliance upon me, which would allow me to get away with spending time, resources and possibly Family funds on my own pursuit. I could turn him into a puppet that dances on invisible strings to whatever tune I play."

The blond once more became silent, his heartbeat still calm and cold. Though the more she listened, the more she could hear the subtle dissonance of distress. Senritsu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

She was rewarded with a wry smile, "It is infinitely harder to mask emotions and feelings from you than it is to hide plans and actions." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest once more; when he spoke again his voice was quiet and distant. "Does even thinking such a thought make me as much of a monster as the ones I no longer pursue?"

He gave a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know, maybe I am just overly sensitive to the term and definition of 'monster' due to the stigma attached to my heritage.

"To most people from Outside the village, we …are considered monsters. The most popular theories range from having demon blood, to being descendants of people who made blood contracts with the devil and sold their souls along with the souls of all their progenies. Never have we been considered to simply be just humans with a rare genetic anomaly.

"I never learned our history of the Eyes before I left; I was too young for those lessons and it wasn't until I was Outside that I discovered just how feared we were. By then it was too late _to_ learn." Kurapika gave another heavy sigh, "I do not think I have the courage to go back to that place before my task is complete, so I can only speculate. A postulation tainted and colored by the views encountered while Outside.

"And then there is what Hisoka... no. Nevermind."

Kurapika fell silent much too quickly for Senritsu, she could almost hear his heart clench in dread. Not knowing exactly what could have exchanged between them during the time they had left Kuroro on that mesa and the blonde's collapse, she tried to ease his heart. "While I do not know the man, from what I understand about him, you cannot take whatever he says as complete truth and therefore seriously."

The teen gave another noncommittal sound before a heavy sigh. "It is true that he is a cunning snake who freely manipulates others to his will as well as a habitual liar; however, he does not feel the need to lie when truth is so much more effective. And I do not think that he was lying this time.

"He told me that after Kuroro had stolen Miss Neon's ability, he read the fortunes of all his members. All of them had imagery that almost positively referred to me, usually 'bloodstained eyes' or something equally as poetic. Hisoka's fortune used a different allusion.

"His fortune referred to me as a 'client' that was 'half angel, half god of death'. He delighted in reminding me that two halves make one whole, with no room for a third part; meaning a human side. He also commented that not all angels are benevolent and that in some cultures, a god of death is also referred to as an angel of hell.

"A bit overdramatic at that point, but he made his case."

He fell silent once again but the despair in his heart was all but deafening. Falling into the role of 'the wise elder sister', she flicked his ear to get his attention.

Having not expected that in the least, the teen quickly swiveled his head to look at her in disbelief. "You. Are. Human." Senritsu flicked the area of his forehead between his eyes as if to drive her point home. "No 'monster' would worry about his humanity, or lack thereof.

"Humans are, by nature, imperfect creatures. One of the main differences between a human and a monster is the ability to regret an action.

"I heard the state your heart was in after you came back from your fight with that giant. I know that the actuality and the reality of path of vengeance did not sit as easily as you had anticipated. Even if it had become a necessity at that point in time.

"Whether or not you have realized this yet, the moment you captured him the night of the first auction he became aware of you. You presented a true challenge to him when he found that he could not break your chain. He needed to see who the better warrior was, and he had no qualm of destroying anything or anyone who got in his way until he got to satisfy that hunger.

"When he found you in our original rooms at the hotel, I was listening. His heart held anger at having been caught in an embarrassing way; but more than that, he was excited. He was overjoyed at the prospect of being able to fight against someone who might be able to fight him in a true life-or-death situation. Someone who could as easily kill him as be killed with no rules or strings attached."

She grabbed his face and forced it in a position where they were eye to eye, making him unable to look away. "No one who knows you could ever consider you a monster."

"Even though my hands are stained in blood and I am planning on manipulating somebody else's life for my own purposes?"

Despite the dark contacts, Senritsu could see a deep weariness in his eyes. It was not due to lack of sleep, nor was it a physical condition; it was the weariness due to the burdens laid upon his soul that he had been shouldering by himself for far too long. As much as it pained her to admit, she knew that the only one who could have any true impact and help to ease his burdens was the one at the root of his despair.

"I feel confident that I speak for every one of your friends when I say that no matter what, you are our Kurapika; our dear friend and member of our extended family. Even if you do not have an ounce of human blood running through your veins, we will never see you differently. And if ever you lose yourself or your way we will always be here for you in whatever way you need us."

He gave her a soft smile of gratitude. They both knew that while her words had helped, the effect was as fragile as a thin piece of glass and would more than likely break the next time his humanity was questioned.

The warm feeling the reassurance gave him, however, had given his soul a comforting sensation that felt much like the one he got while enjoying a steaming cup of his favorite blend of oolong tea on the veranda during the sunrise of a cool autumn morning. Quiet moments of respite were always welcome.

"I should go talk with Mr. Nostrade then. The sooner I move on this the better the chance of gaining the choicest pieces. The better the pieces I can acquire, the better my overall position."

As he got up to leave Senritsu called out, "That information about Zenji and his Family… Just how did you manage to get it? I thought that all materials on the investigation were classified; both on the police end and the Mafia end."

The blond scoffed and shook his head, "If they did not want others to acquire the various reports of what happened, then they should have had more than a single, basic layer of encryption on it. It was almost insultingly easy to get all the information."

The rest of the day both the Kurta and Mr. Nostrade could be found sequestered in the office filled with heavy furniture as it was Mr. Nostrade's favored place for contemplation. The day after they moved to a more airy office that had been set up for video conferences.

Over the course of that day Senritsu could hear the growing cadence of greed and expectant anticipation. From the snippets of conversation she heard, it sounded like Kurapika had not only managed to convince Mr. Nostrade to follow his thinking, but had even explained the first few steps. He also had included a lecture on how to best use trade and social networking from each gain and the most effective use of the influence acquired from each.

However, there was a point after their supper hour when she saw their boss watching Kurapika in a clandestine manner as the teen retired to the garden with a book in his hand. The greed in his heartbeat was overpowering; so much so she could have sworn she saw money signs in place of his pupils. While the greed could have easily come from the advice the teen had been giving to Mr. Nostrade, the sheer intensity of it, so vastly increased from just a few hours prior, made her sick and fear gnawed at her heart.

So intent on trying to determine just what had caused the vast increase of their employer's greed that she did not notice a presence behind her. When a large hand clapped heavily on her shoulder she all but jumped out of her skin, thankfully she kept her startled shriek from slipping out.

"This is not right," came the rumbling voice of Basho. "First, that pensive face; then you not hearing me even though we are on hardwood flooring… Something is very wrong with this and it seems that it might have something to do with what has been keeping our boss busy."

She looked up at the brawny man, concern mirrored in his warm eyes. Shaking her head she looked back to the door Kurapika had escaped through earlier, "I do not know if I am being paranoid and the extra chords in his heartbeat are due solely to the groundwork Kurapika is laying out for him, or if something happened and his heritage has been discovered."

Basho grimaced at the thought, "And we can't do anything to confirm either possibility without ruining something." He squeezed her shoulder before drawing her closer against him in a comforting hug. "No matter what, since it's him, he'll be okay. With that oversized brain of his I doubt anything could truly catch him off-guard to the point where he couldn't recover. And we'll get his back, just like always."

The diminutive woman leaned against him, basking in the comforting aura he always seemed to have. Since the time her body was deformed from the cursed music, she had only encountered two people who truly reminded her of what it felt like to be a woman. And one of which had taken up the role of younger brother almost effortlessly.

Both had, in their own way, told her that she had a beautiful soul, and that anyone who could not see such a fact was completely blind. One had done so quite bluntly shortly after he refused the offer to see her prior to the incident. The other said it with prose and calligraphy; the precious haiku was stored in her flute case so it was always safe, and always close to her heart.

As absurd as their story had been so far, she was glad that their paths had crossed and entangled.

The next day proceeded in a similar fashion. During the morning Mr. Nostrade and Kurapika sequestered themselves in the conference room to discuss 'business strategies'. After lunch they each separated for their own personal duties as well as down time. Every time their boss' eyes turned in the vicinity of the blond, the greed in his heart jumped exponentially in decibel making Senritsu have to consciously refrain from wincing.

It was when she was finishing her evening rounds which took her past Mr. Nostrade's personal office that she overheard part of a phone conversation between their employer and an unknown person. The greed and joy in his heart caused her hands to fly over her mouth in an effort to keep her supper down.

"…Yes, I have gone over the proposal and have made my decision. The arrangement is a fair proposition and it seems to be completely in order. The sale of such an item has so many restrictions and bindings placed on it that it can turn into a hassle if one is unaware of just how many hoops one has to jump through.

"…You're already in town? I guess that would explain why you requested a fairly quick answer.

"… Yes, tomorrow afternoon would be fine... 1 pm?" The sound of a schedule being checked, "I have no conflicts with that time. Where shall the exchange take place?

"…Club Sapphire?

"…I see; congratulations on the expansion of your business. Your enterprise must be doing well if you are making so many high cost purchases in such close succession.

"…Well Mr. Kristo, we shall finish our business tomorrow afternoon then. Goodbye."

Dreading the implication the conversation had, especially in conjunction with the greedy heartbeat, Senritsu fled back to her quarters. She remained there, praying to whatever gods or angels would listen that she was wrong and her friend's life was not in any danger thanks to one man's greed.


End file.
